Vulcans of the Earth (Revised): The Vulcanorion Connection
by Bearthsong
Summary: Ambassador Soval and Admiral Forrest work together to establish greater cooperation between Humans and Vulcans with regard to the many Vulcan-Orions who are arriving on Mars and requesting entry to the United Earth in order to escape the Orion Syndicate's Drug Trade. As more Orions arrive, some xenophobes become concerned about the threat posed by Orion cross-species hybrids.
1. Chapter 1: A Vulcan Father's Dilemma

6

**Vulcans of the Earth: The Vulcanorion Connection**

_A Fan-Fiction story based upon the Universe created on the T.V. series "Star Trek: Enterprise" created by Rick Berman and Brannon Braga, which was in turn based upon Gene Roddenberry's original "Star Trek"_

**Chapter One: A Vulcan Father's Dilemma**

Ambassador Soval buried his head in his hand. How could it have happened again? What was it about the Earth, he wondered, that his son so revered its culture over his own? Sorral had disgraced himself on yet another occasion, and Soval felt powerless to prevent the young man's foolish descent into irrationality. It did not seem to matter how many times he lectured him, or even punished him, Sorral continued to insist to his father that he was an "Earther, born and bred" as he put it.

Sorral, son of Soval, was an "Earther", except for the fact that Sorral was Vulcan…a Vulcan who had been born on the Earth and raised in the mountains of Western Canada by his mother, T'Nak. His father, the Vulcan Ambassador to Earth, Ambassador Soval, had been permitted to see his son only every other weekend, by order of the Legal Council on Child Welfare of the United Earth. It was that same irrational council which had requested on behalf of T'Nak refugee status on Earth when she complained of the restrictions of Vulcan customs and laws on the people of her planet. It was an impossible situation. How could any father be expected to teach his son the Vulcan way when he was being raised far away from the Vulcan Compound in San Francisco, California, where the primary Vulcan Embassy was situated?

T'Nak had humiliated Soval in front of everyone by engaging in a publicly broadcasted interview in which she criticized Vulcan society for being an "emotional dictatorship", as she called it. She told the Earth officials that she wanted to stay on Earth for reasons of "philosophical freedom"—in other words, to become one of those infamous members of _V'tosh Ka'tur, _or "Vulcans Without Logic". T'Nak, however, did not refer to herself by that particular name, nor did she claim allegiance to the sect. She told the Earth officials that she did not reject logic and reasonable self-control, but simply wanted the freedom to raise her son to have "choices and possibilities" that were not available to him on Vulcan because of rigid social standards and an education system that increasingly favored only those Vulcans with the "highest" intellects. She was extremely critical of the Vulcan High Command, the governmental body that her husband Soval served, because of the fact that it was essentially a quasi-military organization which had gained more control over civilian affairs than many Vulcans deemed healthy. Because she had publically criticized the government, she argued that her life might be in danger should she return. For that reason, she had sought, and won, refugee status on Earth for herself and her son.

As far as Soval was concerned, however, the argument that T'Nak would be in any danger should she return to Vulcan was ludicrous. While Soval agreed with his wife about the need for some educational reforms on their home planet, he continued to uphold the government because it was, in spite of its increasing militarism in the galaxy, still considered a meritocracy where those who worked hardest would achieve the highest positions. Soval had made this logical counter-argument, but it had been ignored by the Earth officials. The Starfleet members of the United Earth Planetary Council, Soval was certain, had influenced the outcome of the Legal Council out of spite; the Vulcan Ambassador had been a major proponent of caution in regard to Humanity going out into the stars exploring, and many Humans resented the Vulcans, and himself in particular, for it.

Starfleet members blamed him for "holding back" Human space travel by not sharing complicated technical information which was light-years ahead of their relatively primitive level of development. They simply could not understand the logic of waiting until they were mature enough as a species in order to handle the responsibility involved in dealing with advanced technology. Time and again, Human history had shown Humankind to be irresponsible in their use, or rather, misuse, of the technologies that they had developed.

Humans, Soval believed, were like impetuous children who had no concept of accountability to the needs of the many. Instead, they continually focused on the needs of the few, namely, themselves as individuals. He had been faced with a number of such self-centered, individualistic enemies in Starfleet, and he was sure that they had influenced the decision of the Legal Council out of revenge for what they perceived as Vulcan bullying in the face of Human aspiration. Since Soval would not give them what they wanted, they had resolved to hurt him by taking away his cherished son.

Soval had tried to reason with himself that not all Humans had plotted against him in this manner, but he still had difficulty repressing the feelings of resentment he held for the Humans over their handling of this highly personal matter. It had, to his shame, turned him into a temperamental and sarcastic old man, at least in his dealings with the Humans. He knew it was illogical that he had allowed the Humans to contaminate his thought processes, but his internal battle continued to rage on, unabated.

To make matters worse, T'Nak had recently co-written an autobiographical piece of propaganda against the Vulcan government entitled, "The Ambassador's Wife". In it, she had revealed many salacious details of their private sex life, in which the gossip-mad Humans seemed to take perverse interest. She had also emphasized the "fact" that Vulcan society, although technologically more advanced than Earth, was less socially advanced than the Human society. T'Nak made much of the fact that Vulcans did not encourage outward emotional expression in public. She believed that her son Sorral should be raised in what she referred to as an "emotional democracy", where he would be free to express himself in whatever manner he chose, so long as it did not cause harm to those around him. Soval had tried again and again to reason with T'Nak, to explain to her the need for Vulcans to follow the teachings of Surak, especially with regard to the suppression of emotions.

"What we all need is emotional freedom, Soval!" she would retort angrily, "Why can't you understand that? How does repressing emotion create a better society? I have news for you, my Logic-Master: our society is _not _better, especially not under the grip of the Vulcan High Command. It is all based on fear and shame. We fear that we're going to lose control of ourselves and turn into the monsters that we once were long ago; and we experience shame because we know that if we dare to take on a different, more creative way of living our lives, that we will be shunned. And so, we pretend to others that we are without emotions. Most Vulcans don't like to admit that we struggle to suppress emotions. I know for a fact that _you _struggle with emotion frequently, in spite of your attempts to convince me otherwise. Well, I'm tired of struggling to suppress my own soul. I won't have my son raised in that kind of repressive environment. He and I are _not _leaving the Earth, so don't even talk to me about going back to Vulcan!"

Soval tried to maintain his dignity, but he was continually drawn into these purposeless debates with his wife. He would even lose his temper on occasion, especially when they argued about how to raise Vulcan children. She had come to the point where she insisted upon living separately from him, for he had adamantly refused to consider dissolving their marriage bond-a stand which invoked intense fury in T'Nak, as both parties needed to agree to it in order to go ahead with the dissolution.

In the middle of this rancor was their young son, who had dealt with the situation as best he could, playing diplomat between his feuding parents from an early age. It was of this that Soval was most ashamed. He had allowed himself to be drawn into an emotional "war-of-words" with his wife time and again. No matter how many times he meditated and suppressed his emotions, they would always re-surface whenever she was present, and it had affected their son. Sorral had escaped the two of them by busying himself with Earth social life, including sports games and the silly imaginary entertainments that Earthers found so engrossing.

Because Sorral and his mother had been granted Earth citizenship, Soval had been forced to seek a Human legal advocate, and his mediator had only been able to win for him partial custody of Sorral, an arrangement that continued until the boy reached the age of eighteen. Soval could have pushed it further, but at the time, he decided that to do so would be to further endanger his son's psychological development. He opted for rationality over emotion, and he was, for the most part, glad of it. He believed that, in spite of everything, Sorral respected him the more for having taken "the high road", as the boy called it. The moral "high road", however, had been taken at great cost to Sorral's maturation and development as a Vulcan. There were times when Soval regretted his complicity in allowing his son to be raised amongst Humans instead of asserting his paternal authority over the situation.

Soval looked at his son in exasperation. It was no longer a child but a young adult who stood defiantly before him...still as immature emotionally as he was when he was a juvenile.

"What have you to say for yourself this time, Sorral?" he asked, his tone flat, but his irritation detectable.

"Dad," Sorral began slowly, taking care to maintain a respectful stance, "My Honoured Father. I can explain everything. You see, my friends threw me a welcome-back-to-Earth party, and I couldn't very well turn them down after they worked so hard to prevent my being sent back to Vulcan last year to participate in that crazy bonding ceremony. We weren't doing anything wrong—just dancing, listening to music—that's all. It's just that, when we went outside, a reporter must have filmed us doing the "Party-Hardy" dance, and filed it into their news agency. I never thought that it would make the nightly news, Dad, honest!"

Soval stared intently at his son. It annoyed him that Sorral still used the irreverent, colloquial nickname "Dad" which many Earth children used on this particular continent, in reference to their fathers. The elder Vulcan had long since learned, however, that it was pointless to correct his son on this, as he would constantly "forget" to address his father in the proper Vulcan manner.

"Sorral," he finally began, "I am deeply disappointed in your choice of leisure pursuits. Raucous "parties" as you call them, are not appropriate for a Vulcan male of your age…and you ought to know better than to do so in full public view. You are very well aware of the fact that Humans love salacious gossip. It is one of their many moral weaknesses. I had hoped that, after spending a year on Vulcan, you might have learned something about self-control and logic. Obviously, I was mistaken."

"No, Dad!" Sorral began, raising his voice. He corrected himself, and spoke again, his voice this time reflecting a more level tone.

"Dad," he replied, "I mean to say, my Honoured Father...you aren't mistaken! I have learned a lot on Vulcan about its people, its history, its stories…I have to admit, I enjoyed it more than I thought I would."

"Your reason for being on Vulcan was not for the purpose of enjoyment, my son," Soval stated.

"I know, Dad, I know!" Sorral responded, "I was there in order to learn how to control my emotions and put logic at the centre of my mind and katra. I was there to fulfill my family responsibilities by marrying someone I barely knew, and who doesn't care a hoot for me. I was there to take my place as a man in Vulcan society. Well, I tried, Dad. I worked my green-blooded butt off to try to be a better Vulcan, but I always failed. I failed because Vulcan is, and always will be, alien to me. I just don't get all those weird-ass Vulcan traditions! I'm an Earther, I keep telling you that. I say that I'm an Earther, and you try your hardest to make me a Vulcan. We both keep failing! Why don't we honor our chosen professions and find a diplomatic solution to all this?"

Soval fought to keep the tension from his voice. "My role in your life is to be a father to you, not a diplomat," he growled, realizing that he was losing his own battle with his emotions, "and if you believe the traditions of your ancestors to be "weird-ass" as you so crassly put it, then it is obvious to me that I have failed utterly in my paternal duty to you."

"Dad—no!" Sorral protested, "You've done a fantastic job as my father—honest. I think I've turned out very well…at least, by Earth standards."

Soval attempted valiantly to centre himself. Finally, he asked in an almost desperate tone, "Sorral, my Cherished Son. Did the reintegration sessions at the T'Pannok Centre have any effect at all upon your contaminated _katra?_"

It was now Sorral's turn to struggle with feelings of exasperation. "Dad, no offense to the dedicated staff at the T'Pannok Centre," he finally responded, "but I have not been "contaminated" by Human culture, and neither has my _katra_…my soul. I've been enriched by it! And besides, I have never turned into the violent, angry monster that you thought I would. Why can't you admit that I've turned out just fine, and that Earth culture is no threat to me, or to any other Vulcan! I mean, come on, Dad! Let go of your prejudice for once and open your mind to another point of view! Vulcans and Earthers have been involved with each other for a hundred years. You and the other senior diplomats have been living on Earth for over thirty years—Humans and Vulcans should know each other as friends by now. Instead, we "superior" Vulcans hole up in our little compounds like scaredy-cats, too afraid to take a risk and get to know the Humans personally. I know you and Mum disagreed about that, but…she was right. We can learn a thing or two from the Humans, if we can just ditch our stubborn pride and snobby mannerisms once in a while!"

Soval hung his head. It was of no use. Nothing that he could say would convince his son of the recklessness of his path. In that, he was all too much like his emotionally volatile passionate mother. The father held up his hand, an unspoken signal that the conversation was now at an end. Without a word, he left his son and went into the study.


	2. Chapter 2 Soval of Shir'Kaya

7

**The Vulcanorion Connection**

**Chapter Two: Soval of Shir'Kaya **

As Soval sat in his office, he found that his mind was wandering...he was thinking frequently of his son's future. His worry was not particularly logical, but family matters seldom conformed to the rigors of logic.

What was he to do with Sorral? The boy was now twenty-two standard years old, and he was married to a woman of the same age who was presently living on Vulcan. Vanal was a supremely logical young woman who had been carefully chosen for Sorral, to serve as a role model to him. Soval had hoped that, in time, Sorral would grow into his familial responsibilities well enough to become a father. Unfortunately, however, the year that Sorral and Vanal had spent together after their wedding had not been an especially productive one. Vanal had found Sorral to be far too immature for her, and so she had involved herself in pursuits that did not involve her child-like husband.

Sorral was left to cope on his own, for the most part, and so he was sent every day to a special program at the T'Pannok Centre for Reintegration to learn more about his culture and history. He had excelled at his studies in Vulcan history and literature, but his scientific and mathematical skills had left much to be desired.

The Director of the Centre, Madam T'Pannok, had decided that Sorral would do well in a community service placement, teaching literature within the Shir'Kaya Tribal District. This area was home to the Shir'Kayas, a group of Vulcans with their own distinct culture and traditions. Sorral had been fascinated by them, as he had grown up hearing Soval's stories about them. Soval was himself a member of the Shir'Kaya tribe, and he had instilled in the boy tales of its polytheistic folklore and tales of old battles lost and won.

The Shir'Kayas lived in a very traditional manner, as they had in the days before Surak—the master who had brought the principles of logic and emotional control to the Vulcan people at a very savage time in their collective history. Soval had spent a great deal of time as a young teacher, working with the Surakian monks to teach logic and emotional control to the people of Shir'Kaya...who were very adverse to changing their way of life, particularly with regard to modern technology. The elders in the district tended to discourage the people from embracing new technological advances in favor of keeping things as they had always been.

Things had changed on Vulcan, however, since the Ancient days before Surak, and the Shir'Kayas had not kept up with the rest of modern Vulcan society. The youth of Shir'Kaya were unfortunately paying the price for this refusal to modernize, and it had always been a deep source of frustration for Soval that this was the case. The young people were forced to attend third-rate desert schools which taught various traditional trades, but nothing that would prepare them for a modern-day career in science or technology. Although some students studied hard and earned the right to go to the institutions of advanced learning, as Soval had done, many of them became discouraged and still others dropped out of the education system entirely. Many had become unwittingly involved in the Orion Drug Trade, especially when they left Vulcan on low-grade freighters with the naive intention of "traveling the galaxy".

Some of the more unscrupulous Vulcans who had become involved with the drug trade returned to their homes in Shir'Kaya and other tribal districts, and they began to lure the youth into using and distributing a drug called "Jaboraxin". This particular drug had been the bane of the Shir'Kayas' existence, as it had a debilitating effect on the intellects of its users. This would, in turn, cause further problems when the young addicts tried and failed to receive a proper education, which would then push them back into the drug trade. It had become a vicious circle about which Soval knew only too well.

Soval had himself become involved in the use of Jaboraxin when he was a young boy of fourteen years, growing up in the village of Sh'Vaht in his mother's tumble-down shack. He had been fortunate, however, in that his birth father, Skarn of Sh'Vaht, had been the Magistrate of that village and had punished Soval by sending him to a juvenile offenders' camp, where he had been forced to work long hours in the desert mines.

He had afterwards been obliged to join an order of Surakian monks, who had helped him to use his life in a more productive manner. They had taught him the disciplines of Surak, as well as many of the telepathic disciplines such as the Vulcan Mind Meld. The education he had received from the monks had been a saving grace for young Soval, as it had given him the strength and confidence he had needed to stop using Jaboraxin and to embrace the idea of service to the needs of the many.

It had not been easy for the young Soval to overcome the handicaps of his youth, but he had always found a way to persevere and meet his life's goals. Sorral, however, did not seem to possess the same degree of focus as his father did, and he was constantly trying new things before changing his mind and beginning something else again.

Soval had been most concerned that Sorral would become unwittingly lured into the drug trade while he was teaching in Shir'Kaya, and so he had asked his birth father, Skarn, to send some of his people to watch out for the young "Vulcan Earther". To Soval's relief, Sorral had not been tempted to use "Jaboraxin", but had rather tried to teach Earth "Twelve Step" philosophies to the hapless Shir'Kaya addicts. As a result, the addicts had avoided Sorral like the plague.

By the time the year had ended, Madam T'Pannok sent Sorral back to Earth with an excellent report on his literary and interpersonal skills; his academic record with regard to the scientific and technological disciplines, however, remained abysmal.

When he returned to Earth, Sorral had indicated that he now intended to learn about his father's profession—diplomacy. He had enrolled in an Interplanetary Diplomacy program at United Earth University. Soval had decided to support him in this, although he had some misgivings about his son's ability to adhere to his chosen career path for more than a month. He knew that Sorral needed extra help in order to accomplish his goals, and so he had arranged for him to take special training with Dr. Fer'at, the resident psychiatric analyst at the Vulcan Embassy. Sorral had recently attended his first appointment with Dr. Fer'at, and Soval was waiting to discover how the session had progressed.

As if in answer to his thoughts, the buzzer rang.

"Enter," the Ambassador said into his intercom, and Dr. Fer'at walked briskly into the room.

"Ambassador Soval," he greeted the diplomat, "I have recently conducted my first session with Sorral, and I believe he is ready for a new challenge."

"What sort of a challenge, Doctor?" Soval asked.

He had known Fer'at since they were both young boys growing up in Shir'Kaya. Soval had been a few years older than Fer'at and had encouraged him to leave his tribal district in order to study science at a first-rate academic institution. Fer'at had been curious about life beyond his little village, and so he had taken up the study of science with a vengeance, qualifying to attend a school in the city. He had eventually become a psychiatrist, and had returned to the district of Shir'Kaya to help the youth there. Fer'at had lived and worked in Shir'Kaya for eighty years before finally responding to an invitation from his old friend Soval to come to Earth for a change of pace. Fer'at had brought his wife, Dr. T'Lan, and his adolescent son, Sethir, with him.

"Sorral needs to be sent on an educational placement of some kind which will challenge him. You must stop being so over-protective of him, Soval. He has a great deal of potential; Madam T'Pannok saw it in him, and so do I."

"I see," Soval replied, "and what would you suggest?"

"Sorral says that his professor at the United Earth University would like him to go to Mars to work at the Vulcan Embassy there. He wants to go with his friend, Mark Forrest, who is taking the same program in Interplanetary Diplomacy. I told him that I thought it would be an excellent idea. He told me that you would want him to stay closer to home. I said that I would speak to you for him to change your mind."

"Sorral is not yet ready for a placement on Mars," Soval argued, "He should go to the Embassy in London. Sub-Ambassador Sarthel will find something simple for him to do."

"This is the problem, Soval," Fer'at chided his friend, "You want him to stay close to home and do simple things so that he does not embarrass himself or his family. But I believe he learned a great deal by going by himself to Vulcan, and he surprised you by staying the whole year. He did not perform quite as badly as you had feared...especially with regard to his work teaching the children in Shir'Kaya. Apparently, he inspired them to want to read the old stories of Vulcan's past."

"Fer'at," Soval explained to the psychiatrist, "Sorral is just beginning his studies. He has recently disgraced himself by engaging in some silly antics which were reported in the Earth newscasts. We cannot send him to Mars on his first assignment! When he went to Vulcan, that was different; it was for family and educational purposes, and not in any kind of professional capacity. I do not believe that he will function well at the Mars Embassy, because I know Sirtek, the Diplomatic Envoy there; and he has no patience for foolish behaviour."

"Yes," Fer'at concurred, "I know Sirtek as well, and I consider him to have the grace and intelligence of a _s__ehlat..._although perhaps I insult the Great Bear of the Desert."

"Fer'at, please. Your opinions of Sirtek are irrelevant. Soval must take a placement closer to home. He is not yet ready for Mars...I fear that he might, in his naïveté, become involved in unsavory elements. There are a growing number of _Vulcanorions _going to Mars because they cannot make a life for themselves on Vulcan."

"Soval," Fer'at remarked, "You hardly have to remind me about the lack of opportunity on Vulcan for the Orion hybrid people."

Fer'at himself had a Vulcan-Orion daughter named Jovan, whom he and his wife T'Lan had been raising for the past twenty years along with T'Lan and Fer'at's fully Vulcan son Sethir. Jovan's mother Orela had also been a Hybrid; her father had been a Vulcan and her mother had been a member of the green-skinned Orion species. Orela had tragically died at the hands of a Shir'Kaya drug lord. Her young daughter, Jovan, had been given over to her birth father Fer'at to raise. He and T'Lan had worked extremely hard to keep Jovan connected to her Vulcan rather than her Orion heritage so that she would not be drawn into the schemes of The Orion Syndicate.

The Orions were an aggressive, highly manipulative species which had been intent on creating populations of "hybrids" amongst his people and that of the Andorians' for some time now. Their goal, as far as Soval could determine, was to actively encourage the creation of the hybrids amongst the populations of the host worlds in order to one day colonize the planets. Soval believed, as did Fer'at, that the antidote to this was to raise the hybrids to be loyal to their host species—and in order to do this, the Drug Trade on their world needed to be eliminated. There were many dedicated Vulcans and "Vulcanorions" as the Vulcan-hybrids were called, working towards that goal in vulnerable tribal districts such as Soval's old home, Shir'Kaya. The districts had been a hot-bed of the Jaboraxin trade since Soval had been a child, over one hundred and ten years ago. The vulnerable areas were, Soval discovered when he later became involved in interplanetary diplomacy, being used as "gateways" for the Orion Syndicate's "conquest-by-stealth" schemes.

And now, to Soval's dismay, the Orion Syndicate appeared to be turning its sights upon Earth. Admiral Washington of the Mars colony had been sending reports of increasing numbers of Vulcanorions arriving from Shir'Kaya and other "gateways" on Vulcan. Soval was determined to do whatever he could to stop the Syndicate from establishing Mars as a "gateway" to Earth. The Humans themselves were at a vulnerable stage of their development, and they would require the assistance of Vulcans in order to neutralize the threat to their society. Soval was to meet with Vice-Admiral Forrest to discuss the issue today.

"Fer'at," Soval said to the psychiatrist, "I thank you for your suggestion with regards to my son going to Mars. I understand that he needs a challenging placement in order to keep him out of mischief. That placement, however, will need to be closer to home."

"And by "home", Soval, you mean the Earth."

"Yes, Doctor," Soval replied, struggling to repress his irritation, "I mean the Earth. Sorral was born here, and he has been raised here upon the insistence of his mother. I have accepted the fact that Sorral will never truly be a part of his original culture...his formative years are over, and I have failed to instill within him the proper amount of discipline for him to succeed on Vulcan. I know he is a young adult, but he will require further guidance if he is to embark on a career in diplomacy."

"Just as the Humans require your 'further guidance', Soval?" Fer'at asked, "I have known you for a long time, and I am aware of your tendency to be over-protective of those for whom you care deeply."

"Fer'at," Soval responded, attempting to keep his tone as neutral as possible, "I value your insights as a psychiatrist and as a friend. However, I am not in need of your analytic services at the present time. Your task is to focus on my son, not me. I would remind you to concentrate on that, and leave the diplomatic matters to myself and my staff. That will be all...you are dismissed."

"Yes, Ambassador," Fer'at conceded, "but if you should change your mind, I will be traveling to Mars in a week's time. I could accompany Soval there and supervise him. My daughter Jovan and her...consort...will be arriving at the colony in order to explore career opportunities which have become increasingly difficult for her to find on Vulcan."

"I will give the matter some thought, Doctor," Soval assured him, "Now if you will excuse me, I am due to meet with Admiral Forrest within the next few minutes."

"Yes, Ambassador," replied Fer'at. The psychiatric analyst exited without further comment, of which Soval was exceedingly grateful.


	3. Chapter 3: At Home with the Forrests

9

**The Vulcanorion Connection**

_**Chapter Three: At Home with the Forrests**_

Admiral Forrest arrived with a lunch invitation. Soval was invited to his home, where his son Mark and his wife, Mariel were waiting for them, along with Sorral and his mother, T'Nak. Soval would have preferred to have had more advance notice of the event, but he knew that Forrest's wife was one to plan things on the "spur of the moment", as the Humans would say. His wife T'Nak was a close friend of Mariel, and both women valued "freedom of the spirit" as opposed to the rigid schedules that their husbands tended to follow.

"Ambassador, I'm sorry about this," Forrest apologized as he drove the official Starfleet Ground-Cruiser down the lane to his house in the country, "I know this is a bit out of the ordinary. Mariel insisted that I bring you to lunch—I think it's to talk about this Mars placement that Mark and Sorral want to go on together. Mark has already been accepted for the placement, and he's raring to go. He especially wants to work with the Vulcan Embassy there, although he'll be based with Starfleet. I know you haven't decided yet about Sorral going, but I think they're all hoping you'll reconsider."

"Dr. Fer'at was also hoping I would reconsider, just this morning," Soval replied without enthusiasm, "But I have reasons for keeping my son closer to home. I'm sure his mother will disagree with me."

"I know one of your reasons has to do with the Vulcanorion issue—perhaps not the Vulcanorions themselves, but the danger of this drug trade following some of them to Mars. Admiral Washington and I are anxious to try to nip any kind of drug trafficking there in the bud, before it begins."

"That may be difficult," Soval told him, "I and my fellow Vulcans have been trying to _'nip it in the bud'_, as you say, for the past one hundred years. Once the Orion Syndicate establishes their presence in an area, they are difficult to remove completely. They send groups of their people into planetary populations to create hybrids with them, and they establish a "doorway" into these worlds—very slowly, over a period of time, so that they do not cause alarm. They also have a network of drug cartels and bootlegging operations, which actively recruit members on the 'host worlds', as we call them."

"But how can these Orion people just waltz in and inter-mate with other species? From what I understand, hybridization between different species requires a lot of fiddling around with genetics—it's unlikely that these things would occur naturally."

Soval paused for a moment as Forrest pulled into his drive-way and parked the Cruiser. He looked at the burly Admiral for a moment and Forrest waited for him to continue, knowing that the diplomat often took time to consider his words.

"We do not know how they did it," Soval responded at last, "but somehow they have genetically engineered adaptive DNA which can be passed down through many generations. Once the DNA is in a particular family, the members of that clan may mate with almost any bipedal species and produce offspring. The children which are produced through the mating may then go on to create offspring of their own with the host species, or they could conceivably mate with a third species. Thus, a Vulcanorion could mate with an Andorian and produce a tribrid child—offspring with the genetic characteristics of three separate species. For that matter, it could involve a fourth species...or even a fifth. We do not know how just how far the "adaptability" progresses."

"Soval...these hybrids...the people who are created out of this adaptable DNA. What has been happening to them, on your world?"

"They have been marginalized," Soval admitted, "and the same thing has been occurring on Andoria. This is the opposite of what needs to happen. The antidote to the Orion Syndicate's schemes is to include the Hybrids in our societies, so that they will be more likely to be loyal to the host culture as opposed to the Syndicate. Most of these "hybrid" people want nothing to do with the Orions or their government, because they know that they will be enslaved the minute they begin to work for the drug runners and their ilk. This is the crux of the difficulty, from the host culture's perspective...determining which people are involved with the Syndicate and which are not. Because the hybrids are family members of our own people, there can be tensions between those who wish to persecute the Hybrids for reasons of planetary security, and those who feel that they are entitled to individual rights."

"I can see how that would be a nightmare, from a Security standpoint," Forrest concurred, "but the Hybrids' individual rights do have to be taken into consideration. We've had a lot of experience with Human societies taking away rights from others, and the last thing we want to do is to go back to that. Earth is, for the first time in its history, united in a real, lasting peace between the various nations. We're still very sensitive to issues regarding genetic manipulation, though—a result of our two atrocious Eugenics Wars over a century ago. I'm not sure people on Earth would respond favorably to the idea of Human-Alien hybrids living among us."

"You are seeing the problems involved in inter-species relations that Vulcans have been dealing with for centuries," Soval replied, "and your Mars colony is already beginning to deal with these problems in the form of the Vulcanorions who are immigrating to Mars in order to find the opportunities that Vulcan has failed to offer them. Soon, there will be Orion Hybrids from Andoria arriving on your door-step as well."

"Ambassador..." Forrest asked, "Do you think that there are any Human-Orion hybrids that may have been created?"

"It is highly likely, Admiral, given that so many ill-prepared Earth vessels have been launched into space. It is conceivable that there are many Humanorions in the galaxy, as many of your "lost vessels" that were fleeing the second phase of the Eugenics Wars might easily have been drawn into Orion smuggling rings in exchange for needed technologies, or even such basics as food. Once drawn into these rings, Humans would have had little choice but to become slaves of the Orion Syndicate. This has already happened to many an unfortunate Vulcan crew that has wandered out into hostile space, unprotected by weaponry. Many of these Vulcans have been young people from my home district of Shir'Kaya, and they have been lured into the trade by other, unscrupulous Vulcans who have given up following the teachings of Surak and who have chosen instead to live a life of lust and unbridled passion. It is not only the Hybrids that you will fear, but also your own people, as the more vulnerable ones become slowly drawn into these kinds of nefarious activities."

Forrest stared at Soval, his facial expression indicating deep worry and concern over the issue. The pair was not permitted to brood over the matter further, however, as Forrest's wife, Mariel Woods, came striding over to the cruiser and opened the door.

"Come on, you two!" she chided them, "That's enough shop talk. You didn't drive all the way out here to spend lunch-time in a car. Out, now."

Forrest gave Soval a pained look. "Well, Ambassador, I think we've just been given our marching orders."

Soval made no further comment, but instead exited the vehicle obediently. They followed Forrest's blonde-haired wife into the house, where they were met at the door by a big golden canine, who greeted them with a series of loud barks. The dog jumped up on Soval, his two paws resting on his green Ambassadorial robes. Soval had experience with the animal, however, and calmly guided the dog's paws to the ground.

"Barker!" Forrest commanded the dog, "Down! Sit!"

Barker was so excited to see his master that he failed to obey him. Forrest called for his son to put the animal in the basement so that he would not cause quite so much commotion. Soval could never quite get used to the idea of the Humans living with their animals inside their own homes. Vulcans had domesticated versions of the _sehlat,_ or desert bear; but these animals had their own dens constructed for them outside of the home and were never allowed inside with the family. On Earth, however, animals such as canines and felines were not only allowed inside the house, but seemed to actually become members of the family themselves. These kinds of pets were regarded with such great reverence that many Vulcan visitors had come to the conclusion that Humans worshipped the beasts.

"Oh, poor Barker is whining!" cried Maxine, the fourteen-year-old daughter of Forrest, "Couldn't we let him out? He'll calm down after a minute or so."

"No, Honey," Forrest told her, giving her a fond "peck" on the head, as Human parents often seemed to do with their offspring, "Ambassador Soval is not accustomed to animals running all over the house."

T'Nak emerged from the kitchen with a bowl and a utensil in her hand, accompanied by Sorral.

"Let the dog loose, Admiral," T'Nak told him, "Soval is used to much larger animals than that—he had many _sehlats_ which he cared for."

"Those are the Vulcan bears, right?" Maxine asked T'Nak, "Wow—bears in the house!"

"No. Not in the house, Maxine," Sorral corrected her, "Vulcans don't allow animals in their houses."

"_You _do, Sorral!" Maxine challenged him, "T'Nak and you allow your Border Collie in your house—what is it you call him—some Vulcan name..."

"I-Chaya," Sorral reminded her, "it's a common name for pet sehlats on Vulcan. Dad used to have one with that name, so I thought I'd call my Border Collie I-Chaya to carry on the tradition. I don't think Dad totally appreciated it, though."

Soval decided to stay out of that particular discussion, as he did not want to give his wife any ammunition with which to attack him. She had insisted that they allow I-Chaya the dog into their house, just as the Humans did. He had found the situation to be so intolerable that he could only manage visits with his son at the Vulcan Compound in San Francisco from then on. Soval rarely visited his wife's home in Western Canada, as just about everything there had become a source of contention between the couple.

Today, however, Soval was determined not to let his wife upset his emotional equilibrium. All emotional impulses were to be studiously repressed, using every Surakian technique at his disposal. The last thing that he needed was for his respected colleague, Admiral Maxwell Forrest, to witness a disagreement between himself and T'Nak.

Thankfully, the canine issue was effectively neutralized as Mariel ushered them hurriedly into the dining room.

"Sit down, everyone, and let's eat!" She commanded, "We've got some Plomeek soup that T'Nak made for us, and I've got an amazing array of Earth vegetables straight from our garden. Max and Soval—remember the Forrest-Woods Rule!"

Soval knew from experience that the so-called "Forrest-Woods Rule" was a household edict that Mariel had passed, which stated that neither Maxwell Forrest nor he could refer to the other by their professional titles of "Admiral" or "Ambassador". Instead, Mariel had warned them sternly, they needed to refer to each other as "Max" and "Soval" as long as they were within the jurisdiction of the Forrest-Woods abode.

After Forrest had intoned an ancient Earth blessing upon the meal, the diners were free not only to eat, but to take part in a dynamic conversation as well. Soval had always been secretly intrigued by the Human ability to vacillate between eating and talking. Whenever he was asked a question, Soval immediately stopped eating to answer it in as brief a manner as was possible, given the number of inquiries that Humans made throughout their meals. He did not resume eating until after the conversational interaction was complete. The Humans, on the other hand, seemed to be able to weave the conversation artfully between mouthfuls, all the while managing not to "talk with their mouths full", which according to Mariel was a forbidden act.

Sorral had mastered this odd Human art, but his mother T'Nak had not. She tended to "talk with her mouth full", and the Humans were too polite to chastise her for it. Soval resisted the temptation to take her aside and lecture her about the _faux-pas;_ for he knew that it would not be worth the trouble.

The Forrests' son, Mark, was the only one at the table besides himself who did not actively participate in the culinary chat festival. Mark Forrest had proved himself to be remarkably adept at learning the Vulcan language and customs when he had performed his placement at the Vulcan Embassy last year. Mark had also traveled once to Vulcan to see Sorral while he was spending his marital year there, and he had returned to Earth with a very strong desire to live on Vulcan for an extended stay in order to study Surakian principles. Soval had, with the permission of Mark's father, begun tutoring the young man with the hope that he might encourage Sorral to practice the principles of Surak more vigorously.

"I apologize, Ambassador, for the incessant chatter," Mark said to the diplomat when the meal was complete, "But you know what Humans are like. I should warn you that our main purpose in bringing you here is to convince you to allow Sorral to go to Mars on his next placement."

"Yes, I had deduced that," Soval responded drily, "and Dr. Fer'at has offered to supervise him when he goes to meet his daughter Jovan there next week."

"So...Dad, does that mean I can go?" Sorral queried hopefully, "I meant to say, 'My Honored Father', that is."

"I have been considering the possibility, my son, since Fer'at highly recommended that you go. But I would need assurances from you that you would not engage in any activities of a raucous or licentious nature. If there were to be the slightest hint that you were attending "parties" as you call them, Ambassador Sirtek would send you home immediately. He may do so anyways, within your first few days. He is not one to _suffer fools gladly, _as the Humans say."

"Hey, Dad—does that mean you've actually budged from your position of my not going?"

"Soval," T'Nak began, "Our son is not as much of a fool as you seem to think he is. You can't keep him on a leash forever! He needs to get out and experience the Universe. I should perhaps mention that I've already co-signed the consent form with Sorral, for him to go to this Mars placement. I believe that it would be a good learning experience for him."

"I had some inkling that you would do so, T'Nak," Soval replied, keeping his tone as neutral as possible, "and so, rather than to argue with you, I will give my permission for the venture; however, it is to be accompanied by a strict warning to you, Sorral. You must not allow yourself to be drawn into a compromising position with any female of Orion heritage. Do you understand?"

"Yeah...sure, Dad...Honored Father. It seems a little prejudiced, though. Do I even have to be snobby towards Dr. Fer'at's daughter, Jovan?"

"Jovan has her own mate," Soval responded, "and, she has been well-trained by Fer'at in Surakian principles of emotional control. As I have said, you will be under the strict guidance of Fer'at. There will be no time for you to go gallivanting, Sorral."

"I'll keep an eye on him, too, Ambassador," Mark promised.

"Okay!" Mariel chimed in, "Then it's been decided. Mission accomplished! Now it's time for dessert...and Maxine has a surprise for you all."

As Maxine ran into the kitchen to prepare her "surprise", Forrest leaned over to him and whispered, "That was quite an about-face, Ambassador...I mean, Soval."

"Yes...Max. It was," Soval replied in a regular tone of voice, "When in the company of my wife, surrender is often the only option."

T'Nak peered at him with a victorious look upon her face, but he ignored it. He was spared any further comments from her when a "Human" male entered the room, walking in such a mechanical fashion that Soval quickly surmised that he was an android of some kind.

"Guys, I'd like you to meet Tomm," Maxine introduced the machine to them, "Don't be nervous, Tomm. Put the dessert down on the table."

"Hello, Maxine," intoned the android in a robotic voice, "I am the Tomm-1000 series, and I am happy to assist you."

"Yes, I know you are, Tomm," Maxine told him gently, "now put down the dessert—on the table, please."

"I am capable of over ten thousand commands," Tomm continued, "and have been programmed for household assistance."

"Okay—so assist, you bucket-of-bolts!" Mariel shouted at the device, "This thing is driving me crazy. He lists everything that he can do, and then he doesn't do any of it!"

"I see your androids are still in their primitive phase," Soval noted.

"Hey, come on, you guys!" Maxine protested, "How about giving Tomm a break? This is just his first day. Don't let them get you down, Tomm."

"It's an android, Maxine," Mark told his sister, "It can't feel."

"How would you know, you would-be Vulcan?" Maxine snapped at her older brother as she attempted to "tune" Tomm in with her remote control.

Tomm responded by immediately dropping the dessert on the table, splattering it all over the guests.

"Oops," Maxine murmured, "Sorry about that, everyone."

"So much for artificial intelligence," Mark muttered sardonically.

"Honey, I think maybe you need to shut Tomm off," Forrest told her gently. The girl appeared to be on the verge of an unfortunate emotional reaction.

"Perhaps I could assist," Soval offered, taking the control from Maxine. He fiddled with the buttons for a minute, until finally Tomm powered down into the "neutral" position.

"Let's bring him downstairs into the work-room," Forrest suggested. He lifted "Tomm's" front torso while Soval took the lower portion, and together they brought the incompetent android down to the basement to join Barker the dog.

"Now both Tomm and Barker have been exiled!" Maxine moaned after they returned from performing their task, "It's not fair."

"Tomm will need a bit of work, Maxine," Forrest informed his daughter, "I'll see if we can get our cybernetics expert to have a look at him. Right now, though, I think Ambassador...that is, Soval and I...need to be getting back to work, as much as we'd love to stay and have dessert."

"All right!" Sorral exclaimed happily, wiping the whipped cream off his sleeve, "So...in spite of Tomm and the spilled dessert, I can go to Mars with Mark and Dr. Fer'at?"

"Yes," replied Soval to his son, "but I should warn you, Sorral, that I have decided to accompany you as well."


	4. Chapter 4: Kelsad

9

_**The Vulcanorion Connection**_

_**Chapter Four: Kelsad**_

Soval disembarked from the passenger ship that had taken Sorral, Fer'at, and himself to the MarTerra Space Station in orbit around Mars. There, they were to meet Ambassador Sirtek, the Diplomatic Envoy to Mars. Soval was not looking forward to the meeting, as Sirtek would undoubtedly be dismissive of his son. He knew, however, that he needed to let Sorral make his own mistakes and learn from bitter experience.

He had, en route to Mars, come to the conclusion that Fer'at was correct on this occasion, as was his own wife T'Nak, for she had been saying much the same thing for years: to hold his son back from life's learning situations would teach him nothing, at this point in his life.

He had since been meditating on what Fer'at had told him about his tendency to over-protect those he cared for deeply. T'Nak had said to him something quite similar; and so, he had renewed his determination not to allow such emotions to affect his rational decision-making processes. It had been particularly disturbing that Fer'at had believed that his irrational need to over-protect also extended to his work with the Humans. He had been determined to delay Starfleet's first official deep-space mission, that which had been led by the brash and arrogant Captain of the Starship Enterprise, Jonathan Archer.

Archer had held a personal grudge against him because Soval had been instrumental in holding back the development of the warp drive engine on Earth. Unfortunately, this had resulted in the sad fact that Archer's father, Henry, did not live to see his life's work completed by the time that he died. Archer was resentful of Vulcans in general and Soval in particular because of this. He was very attached to his father's dream of sending out the Earth's first warp-five capable starship into deep space, and he was prepared to rush headlong into the galaxy without considering the possible consequences.

Soval had argued bitterly with Archer, and even with Admiral Forrest; however, the Admiral had adamantly supported Archer over and above Soval's objections, and so in the end the Vulcan diplomat had been given little choice in the matter.

It was now a moot point, however, since Archer had left aboard the new Starship with his crew over a year ago. Soval had arranged for one of his best people, Sub-Commander T'Pol, to accompany them as a science officer; but to his dismay, she had become increasingly supportive of their efforts as she spent more and more time with them on their mission. He supposed that he could not blame her for that, however, as he had been doing much the same thing as he spent more time with Admiral Forrest and his rather eccentric family.

At the present time, it was important to put aside all past disagreements in order to work closely with Starfleet to minimize the threat posed by the Orion Syndicate and its criminal minions. Now that Earth was beginning to become a "player" in interplanetary politics, it was also more likely to draw attention to itself in ways that might not be beneficial for its rather naive populations.

"Dad," Sorral said, interrupting his thought processes, "Don't look now, but I think Ambassador Sirtek is approaching."

Sirtek strode up to the trio and stopped in front of them.

"This is your son, Soval?" he asked curtly, eyeing Sorral as if he were merchandise in a store.

"This is Sorral, Ambassador Sirtek," Soval confirmed to the younger diplomat. He did not particularly appreciate Sirtek's failure to address him by his own title of "Ambassador", but he tried to keep himself above that kind of childish behavior.

"You will be put to work in the office immediately," he said to Sorral, "and I expect you to put in a full day's effort."

"Yes, Ambassador Sirtek," Sorral replied obediently.

"And, you will dress appropriately for this most auspicious opportunity which we at the Mars Embassy have graciously afforded you...what is that beneath your tunic?"

"I...it's just a shirt, Ambassador..."

Soval noticed that his son had loosened his tunic at the top, partially displaying an Earth-style shirt with a design on it. He silently rebuked himself for not having seen it before so that he could correct his son. It was too late for that now.

"Unfasten your tunic," Sirtek demanded.

Sorral glanced at his father with a puzzled look on his face, and did as he was told.

"Is this necessary, Sirtek?" asked Dr. Fer'at, his irritation at Sirtek detectable. Soval gestured to him not to interfere with Sirtek's chastisement of the boy. This was to be another of Sorral's learning experiences.

Sorral unfastened his tunic to display a black T-shirt with a colorful picture of the Earth on it, musical notes emanating from it. Under the design a caption read, "_Earth Rocks!"_

"Explain," Sirtek ordered the young man.

"It's called a 'T-shirt' on Earth, Ambassador," Sorral explained, "It refers to the ancient 'Rock Music', which is a popular musical form enjoyed by many...even some Vulcans. I could play you and the other members of the Embassy some songs, if you like."

"Certainly not!" Sirtek scoffed, "That is a piece of commercial propaganda for an idle form of entertainment. It serves no useful purpose, and it is inappropriate for a young Vulcan male who wishes to serve his world in a diplomatic capacity. Remove it, please...right now."

Sorral stared at his father in disbelief, but Soval said nothing. The boy took off his tunic and pulled the T-shirt off, glancing around him, embarrassed, as two Human girls walked by and ogled him in a most unrestrained manner.

He quickly put on the tunic, being careful this time to fasten it all the way to his neck, and he gave over the shirt to Fer'at. Another young Vulcan presently joined Sirtek, to stand dutifully by his side. He was dressed in the uniform of a Vulcan Security officer, and, judging by his resemblance to Sirtek, Soval surmised that he must be the man's son.

"This is Mr. Talcon," Sirtek introduced the officer, "and he will be supervising you for the duration of your placement, Sorral. You are not to go anywhere without first reporting to him."

Sorral looked as though he were about to make a heated reply, but Soval jostled him slightly with his arm. Thankfully, Sorral thought better of it and closed his mouth.

"Yes, Sir," Sorral mumbled.

"You will enunciate clearly when speaking, Sorral," Talcon chided him in a patronizing fashion, "You are working for the Vulcan-Mars Consulate, not as a nursery school teacher. Much will be required from the son of an Earth Ambassador."

Sorral glowered at the young man as if he wanted to make a rebellious retort of some kind; and so, Soval decided to intervene in one last attempt to salvage Sorral's sinking status with the Vulcan-Mars Consulate.

"I apologize, Ambassador, and Mr. Talcon," he said to them in a reconciliatory manner, "Sorral has many talents, but adherence to decorum is not one of them. Sorral, you will listen to Mr. Talcon and submit to his authority. You wished to go to Mars, and now you are here. You are expected to perform to standard, do I make myself clear?"

"Yes, Honored Father," Sorral conceded, crest-fallen, "But...will Mark and I get to work together?"

"It is unlikely," Soval told him, "unless you are prepared to conduct yourself in an appropriate manner at all times."

"Talcon," Sirtek told his son brusquely, "You will bring Sorral to the Consular Office and give him a simple task to do. If he performs it in a satisfactory manner, then you can give him something slightly more challenging to do. He will be your responsibility the entire time that he is here. Please ensure that he does not interfere with the work of either myself or my staff."

Talcon bowed his head to his father and gestured to Sorral to follow him. Sorral looked at his own father and Dr. Fer'at as though he did not want to leave them, but Soval gestured to him to follow Talcon. From what Sirtek had said so far, it was obvious that he had very low expectations of Sorral. It would now be up to Sorral to prove them wrong...if he was capable of it.

"I understand that you and Dr. Fer'at have a Vulcanorion family member to meet," Sirtek said to them after the two young men had left, "I will leave you to do that. Talcon will return here in another hour to take both of you, and possibly your children, on a tour of the Mars facility where many of the Vulcanorions and Shir'Kayas have been working. You are to be shown their work conditions so that you will have a sense of what is available to them here. For our part, we here at the Vulcan-Mars Consulate would like to encourage Vulcanorion and Shir'Kayan immigration to Mars—it will limit the number of them on Vulcan."

"And you think that this is a solution to the problems they face on Vulcan?" Fer'at asked Sirtek, his voice barely managing to suppress its angry tone.

"I think it is a solution in that their problems will be experienced here on Mars rather than on Vulcan. I will see both of you at the briefing with Admiral Washington and the other Starfleet Officers. At the moment, I have important matters which require my attention."

"That is no solution," Fer'at stated, as Sirtek took his leave, "pushing our social issues onto another, less experienced culture? We will doubtless be shamed by Sirtek at the briefing, Soval, my friend...he considers us both to be a couple of simple-minded Shir'Kayas, and that is why he treats us with such disrespect."

"We must not allow his arrogance to affect us, Fer'at," Soval told his friend, "whether or not Sirtek deems us to be worthy of respect is irrelevant to our purpose here."

"Yes, I am aware of that," Fer'at concurred, "but it will be most unfortunate for Sorral to endure such treatment from the son of that most ungracious sehlat."

"That is enough, Fer'at," he scolded the doctor firmly, "let us not stoop to the level of name-calling...are we not above that, at our age?"

Fer'at only raised an eyebrow in reply, scanning the people who were beginning to stream out of the gate. The next passenger ship to dock was from Vulcan, and it was here in the arrivals area that his daughter, Jovan, would be disembarking.

At that moment, a light green-skinned Vulcanorion woman strode down the corridor through the Arrivals Gate. She was accompanied by a green Andorian with black hair and sharply pointed ears. Soval just barely managed to suppress the shock he felt upon seeing what he surmised to be an Andorian-Vulcan-Orion "Tribrid".

"Father," Jovan greeted Fer'at, "It is agreeable to see you."

"My cherished daughter," Fer'at returned her greeting fondly, "I trust the Andorian has not been mistreating you."

Fer'at's tone grew a little more onerous as he mentioned "the Andorian".

"Ambassador Soval," Jovan acknowledged the diplomat, "Friend of my Father. I greet you with honor."

"The honor is mine, Jovan," Soval replied, "but I have not yet met your companion."

"This is Kelsad," Jovan introduced the male, "and he is a Vulcandorion—he carries within him Vulcan, Andorian, and Orion genes..."

"...and Human," Kelsad told them in a matter-of-a-fact manner, "My grandmother was Vulcan-Human-Orion."

Soval experienced a sense of disturbance within his emotional centre once more. He chastened himself to keep a stricter reign on his feelings. He could tell by looking at Fer'at that he was having intense difficulty suppressing his emotions over this issue; he was obviously fighting a losing battle with regard to his daughter's relationship with "The Andorian", as he referred to Kelsad. Fer'at was exceedingly open-minded for a Vulcan, but even he could not withstand the idea of an Andorian in his family. Soval knew that he would no doubt feel exactly the same way if he was in Fer'at's position.

"You both appear as though you are ready to turn green yourselves," Jovan chided her elders, "Perhaps we should go to the living quarters which Mother has secured for us?"

Fer'at gestured down the corridor and they followed him to a lift which brought them to another level. As they entered it, Soval could not help but notice Kelsad glaring at his companion's father. Fer'at was studiously ignoring him, and so Soval decided to engage the multiple species "Quadru-brid" in conversation to break the tension.

"On what world did you grow up, Mr. Kelsad?" he inquired.

Kelsad regarded Soval with an air of contempt, as if he had been asked this question one too many times.

"I grew up on Andoria, with my mother," he responded, "But I was sent to live with my father on Vulcan in the hopes that I would avoid the Orion drug-runners who were looking for converts amongst the more disenfranchised members of the Andorian youth population. However, as I'm sure you're aware, Ambassador, Vulcan is not immune from such social ills itself—a fact which you doubtless prefer not to admit."

"To deny the facts would be illogical, Kelsad," Soval retorted, "I grew up in Shir'Kaya, and I am well aware of the issues there."

"Logic—yes, that elusive little creature which I worked so hard to capture. I failed, of course, because of my despised status as a "half-Andorian" abomination. As a boy, I wanted only to please my father, a Vulcanorion who hated himself so much that he pretended to himself that he was really a full Vulcan. He studied the writings of Surak, he learned to contain his emotions, and he tried over and over to qualify for entry into the hallowed institutions of learning on Vulcan. He tried...and he failed. Finally, in desperation, he joined an order of Surakian monks, who were willing to take him in and teach him what the Vulcan institutions would not. He remains there to this day as their faithful servant, but I could not abide by such a foolish existence."

"Your father was correct in his choice, Kelsad," Soval said to the young man, "He chose the wiser path. I myself was saved from a life of drug addiction and misery by the Surakian monks of Sh'Vaht. I served among them with pride for most of my adolescence. I, too, had many difficulties qualifying for entry to the Universities because of my past, but I persisted and finally succeeded."

"You are a full Vulcan, Ambassador," Kelsad replied quietly.

"I have already had that conversation with him, Soval," Fer'at told him as he led the way out of the lift and into the complex which contained numerous living accommodations, "Kelsad insists upon seeing himself as a victim of our society."

He stopped at a door, pressing a button.

"Enter," the voice of Fer'at's wife answered.

They were welcomed into the apartment by Dr. T'Lan, who was a psychiatrist like her husband.

"Welcome to you all," T'Lan greeted them, "Jovan and Kelsad, I have procured this living space for you while you are here exploring career opportunities. I hope they meet with your approval."

"Of course they do, Mother T'Lan," Jovan responded to her step-mother, "Our gratitude to you."

"We are certainly well-ensconced within the Vulcan section of the station," Kelsad commented drily, "I suppose, T'Lan, that this is to keep us safe and secure from all those criminal Orion people?"

"I apologize if the accommodations are unacceptable to you, Kelsad," T'Lan responded evenly. Her voice held not one trace of irritation or resentment, Soval noted in admiration. Fer'at was indeed a fortunate male. His daughter Jovan, however, seemed to be far less fortunate with regard to her own mate. Soval sensed from him a deep-seated anger towards Vulcan society...perhaps even rage.

"Kelsad," Jovan spoke sharply to her mate, "I must insist that you treat my parents with respect, if you wish to be a member of our family."

"I respect your step-mother," Kelsad responded, eyeing Fer'at with mistrust.

"Both, Kelsad! My father as well. And you, my Father Fer'at. You will stop making such prejudicial comments about Kelsad's Andorian heritage. When you shame him, you shame me as well...not to mention our child, whom I carry within my womb."

"Child?" Fer'at echoed his daughter, his dismay now fully evident, "You have procreated with...The Andorian?"

"Fer'at," T'Lan corrected her husband, "You will refer to Kelsad by his name, please. You are not facilitating this conversation properly due to your rudeness. Soval, my apologies to you for this unfortunate scene that you have been made to witness."

Fer'at's face was beginning to take on a greenish tinge.

"I will bring Fer'at with me, T'Lan," Soval told her, "Perhaps this is a situation best handled by you. Fer'at...we must go now, if we are to meet Talcon for the tour of the Mars facilities."

"Please bring Sethir with you," T'Lan ordered Fer'at, gesturing to a young Vulcan boy of about fourteen years, "He has become bored within the confines of the apartment."

"I don't blame him," muttered Kelsad.

"Will your child be Andorian, Jovan?" Sethir asked his older sister.

"Partly," Jovan answered the boy, her exasperation beginning to grow, "Sethir. Please go with our Father and Ambassador Soval. I wish to discuss some issues with my step-mother T'Lan."

Fer'at gestured towards his son, and the three of them walked out of the apartment, leaving T'Lan alone with the beleaguered couple.


	5. Chapter 5: Welcome to Mars!

16

_**The Vulcanorion Connection**_

_**Chapter Five: "Welcome to Mars!" **_

As they walked along the corridor leading them back to the "Arrivals" area of the station, Fer'at attempted to explain himself.

"Soval, I know you must think me a hypocrite," he said, "I have been the advocate for the rights of Shir'Kaya and Vulcanorion youth for eighty years. There is, however, something about this young man that disturbs me. He is not the correct choice of a mate for my daughter, but she is very headstrong and will no longer be told what to do by her father. I would have preferred for her a traditional bonding ceremony with a fully Vulcan male or even a Vulcanorion...but due to her Orion heritage, Jovan has little telepathic capacity. She has always told me that she would choose her own mate. I had hoped that her choice would wiser, but her Orion passion will not be denied. Even so, I have trained her all of her life to follow the path of Surak and to channel her emotions into creative and academic pursuits...yet I have failed. How can I now protect her against this Andorian?"

"Fer'at," Soval told him gently, "I will tell you what you have always told me with regard to my own son. There comes a time when you must send them out into the Universe, whether or not they are prepared. I cannot condemn you for your prejudicial treatment of Kelsad, for I know that I contain the same attitude within myself. I was, in my younger years, involved in the conflict with the Andorians over Paan Mokar. But Kelsad is _not _an Andorian...nor is he a Vulcan, an Orion, or a Human. He merely carries the genetic material of these four species. He is all of them, and yet he is none of them. There are not many like him, even with the Orion push for hybridization. He is alone in the Universe, and needs guidance. I would prefer that he receive it from Vulcans rather than Andorians or Orions...and you will not give him that guidance by constantly referring to him as 'The Andorian'."

"You are correct, my friend, and yet I still mistrust him."

"Father," Fer'at's son Sethir asked him while they waited for their guide Talcon to appear, "Will Admiral Forrest's daughter Maxine be coming on this tour? I would like to see her."

"Sethir," Fer'at replied to his son, "I do not believe that the Admiral would approve of a Vulcan boy expressing an interest in his daughter."

"The Admiral would not, Father?" Sethir queried, "Or _you?"_

"Both of us would disapprove, my son," Fer'at retorted, "Now please, taunt me no more with this question."

Fer'at was spared any further queries about the Admiral's daughter when Talcon arrived, accompanied by Sorral.

"We will be boarding a shuttle in approximately five minutes which will take us to the planet's surface. There, we will be met by a Human guide, the Starfleet Admiral, and his family," Talcon announced.

Sethir gave his father a victorious look, obviously pleased that Admiral Forrest's daughter would be there. Soval knew that the Admiral had traveled to Mars two days ago in order to consult with Admiral Washington about the many Vulcanorion immigrants who were arriving on Mars' doorstep—and requesting visas to Earth in large numbers. He did not realize, however, that he had brought his entire family with him.

After a few minutes, Talcon gestured to them to follow him, and he led the way to a private Security shuttle which was to take them to the surface. As they sat waiting for the shuttle to depart, Soval took the opportunity to speak with Sorral about his experience of the Vulcan-Mars Consulate so far. He was pleased to see that the young man's face held a neutral expression on it.

"I trust that you are behaving yourself, Sorral?" he asked him.

"Yeah, Dad, I think so," Sorral answered, keeping his voice low, "but that Talcon guy is driving me nuts. He's always critical of everything I do, and he orders me around constantly. I wouldn't mind if he was a little older, but he's about the same age as me! If he's the only one who's going to be supervising me, this is going to be one long, miserable placement. I thought it was Dr. Fer'at who was going to be supervising...couldn't he come in and just be an observer while Talcon goes and does something else?"

"That is not up to me, Sorral," he replied, "Sirtek has made it very clear that he has his own plans for your supervision. In my communications with him before arriving here, he was not particularly receptive to suggestions from me."

"But Dad...surely you could have some influence over this. Couldn't you arrange for Mark and I to work on some joint Human-Vulcan thing together?"

"It would not be in your best interest for me to interfere, my son," Soval countered, "your colleagues will say that I am using my position to advance you prematurely to assignments that you have not yet earned."

"I know, Dad," Sorral replied, disappointed, "I understand...although I don't think the other Vulcans at the Consulate would refer to me as a 'colleague'. I'm so low-down on the hierarchy that they don't even look at me let alone speak to me."

"I began my career in much the same way, Sorral."

Sorral let out a sigh, as if resigning himself to his present situation. He would need to accept the consequences of what he had asked for, and for what he was now receiving...there was no way that he could avoid it.

As the shuttle launched from the docking area, Soval settled in for the ride. He spoke little during the trip, but instead preferred to look out the viewing portal so that he could see the barren Mars landscape. It reminded him somewhat of the Vulcan desert. The rusty-red Martian surface was peppered with sand dunes, rocks, volcanoes, and impact craters. The various work-communities were housed within a series of underground compounds that provided access to the Main Dome, which protected the larger Martian community. The colony had an extensive, interconnecting underground Safety Zone in case of an emergency evacuation of the Bio-Dome due to fracture or leakage. In fact, at least half of Martia City was located underground rather than within the surface area of the Dome. The Dome itself was at all times scrupulously monitored as a result of the harsh conditions on the surface of Mars. The sandstorms that pelted the Dome were long and fierce in duration and obscured outward observation for days on end. Soval held a secret admiration for the gritty determination and the adaptive prowess of the early colonists, who had managed to not only survive but thrive on a planet which boasted even worse conditions than those on Vulcan.

As the shuttle descended to within a few kilometres of the Main Compound, sliding doors opened immediately to allow the shuttle entry into a large underground passageway which led to the shuttle bay. After a few minutes, the pilot opened the hatch and the passengers were permitted to go down the exit ramp. They were directed to walk through a set of sliding doors, and on the other side a small woman with jet-black hair met them.

"Ambassador Soval," she greeted him in a jovial fashion, "Welcome to Mars! I'm Olivine Fossa, and I'll be your guide while you're here. I will bring you and your aides on a tour of the Main Compound, and I'll show you some of the work processes that the Vulcanorions and Shir'Kaya Vulcans have been performing since they got their jobs here."

"They are not my aides, Ms. Fossa," Soval corrected her, "this is Dr. Fer'at. He is a psychiatric analyst, and he will determine the psychological health of the Vulcanorion and Shir'Kaya workers here. We are accompanied by our sons, Sorral and Sethir. They are coming with us for educational purposes only."

Olivine smiled broadly. "Education is a great thing, Ambassador!" she said with great enthusiasm, "Sorral and Sethir, you guys are going to love this."

"We are not here for the purpose of enjoyment, Olivine," Talcon stated gruffly.

"Oh, all right, Talc," Olivine teased him, "I'll try to make it as miserable as I can, just for you."

Talcon came as close to a scowl as his Vulcan expressive etiquette would allow. Their guide laughed merrily as she led them down a corridor. She was obviously not interested in putting on airs for the Vulcans.

"Mars is an amazing world, gentlemen!" she crowed, "We have all the latest mining technology available to us to mine ore from the craters and other minerals from the crust. We will be taking the underground MagLev to the area of Nili Fossae, the area my father, Neil Fossa, was named after. That's where we've been mining the mineral Olivine, among many others."

"And you were named after the mineral, Ms. Fossa?" Sorral asked, somewhat unnecessarily.

"Of course!" Olivine sang out, "It's better than being called Chrysolite or Magnesium!"

When they arrived at the platform where they were to take the magnetically levitated train to Nili Fossae, Admiral Forrest and his two children, Maxine and Mark, were waiting for them.

"Sethir!" Maxine called out, "You made it here, after all."

"Yes, Maxine," Sethir replied as he walked over to her, rather too eagerly, Soval thought. Fer'at gave his son a sharp look, but the boy ignored it.

"Good afternoon, Ambassador," Forrest greeted him, "I'm sorry our wives couldn't join us. Mariel is attending a conference on Mars-Earth relations and she invited T'Nak to go with her."

"I see," Soval responded, "I was not aware that my wife had traveled to Mars. She normally prefers to avoid space travel as much as possible."

"I'm afraid Mariel convinced her to go," Forrest told him, "She said it would be an exciting adventure, but I'm not sure your wife agrees so far."

"Conferences bore T'Nak," Soval replied as they boarded the train, "I am surprised that she agreed to come at all."

As the MagLev whooshed along the tunnel on the way to Nili Fossae, Olivine chatted on about the area and its history. Nili Fossae was home to a number of large grabens, or vallies between faults, which were filled with sediments and minerals such as Olivine, Pyroxene, and Iron Oxides.

Many of the first colonists, Olivine told them, had arrived as refugees of the Eugenics Wars about one hundred and thirty Earth years ago. The first attempts to construct a bio-dome and the underground tunnel system were fraught with difficulty due to the harsh planetary conditions and thin atmosphere. Earth's corporate dictators at the time did not expect the colonists to survive, and therefore many "undesirables" were recruited and sent to Mars as "trash" to be dumped on a barren world and abandoned. The colonists, however, had a fierce determination to survive and to build a world based on the equality and freedom which had eluded them on Earth. Their vision and sheer strength of will won out over the vapid lack of imagination shown by the corporate overlords, who had nearly decimated the Earth and its ecosystems. Eventually, with the help of other voluntary colonizers, Mars became a successfully inhabited world on an inhospitable planet.

"The Mars colonists were not expected to survive, let alone to thrive, and yet here we are," Olivine concluded her remarks proudly, "My grandparents came to Mars as colonists, my parents were born here, I and my brother were born here, and my brother's children have all been born here. Four generations of Marsies! Not bad for an "un-colonizable" world, eh?"

The young woman's voice held a note of uncompromising triumph, and Soval could hardly blame her. He certainly appreciated the immensity of the task that the early colonists had set for themselves.

"Wow, Ms. Fossa," Sorral blurted out, "Humans sure have great ingenuity in the face of adversity."

Fossa appeared pleased by Sorral's words of admiration, but Talcon was not.

"Vulcans have inhabited an inhospitable world for millennia," he scoffed, in an obvious ploy to sound unimpressed.

"Don't worry about Talc," Olivine said to Sorral, "He's just jealous of us Marsies. I've known him for most of my life. We knew each other as kids growing up—his parents are both scientists who have been regular visitors to Mars, even before Sirtek became the Envoy to Mars. They had come to study our mining technology and methods. Talc and I have always played this game where I brag about Marsies' accomplishments, and he comes back at me with something better that the Vulcans have done. He's always had a bit of a crush on me, I think."

"I think perhaps the opposite is true," Talcon retorted, "I believe Ms. Fossa was most disappointed to hear that I was married last year to a Vulcan female...is that not true, Olivine?"

"Oh, yes, Talcie sweetheart," Olivine responded in mock heart-brokenness, "and so was my boyfriend Isaac. So much for his chance to get rid of me."

"It is most unfortunate for Isaac," Talcon replied, "that he must continue to endure your prideful silliness."

As Soval listened to the two of them bantering back and forth, he thought that their relationship appeared to be far too familiar.

"Mr. Talcon," he interjected, "I believe that, since you are serving as role model and supervisor to my son, a more professional demeanor might be called for, do you not agree?"

"Yes, Ambassador," Talcon replied, his face betraying a slightly greenish tinge, "My apologies. Ms. Fossa can be extremely...distracting, and annoying."

"She is Human," he chided the young man, "But you do not have that excuse. Please use your focusing abilities to override the...distractions."

Behind them, Sethir and Maxine were whispering to each other, as if secretly enjoying Talcon's chastisement by the Vulcan Ambassador.

"Okay, guys," Forrest soothed them, "That's enough of that. We're here to listen to our guide, not fool around."

"Sethir, you will behave yourself," Fer'at told the boy sternly.

When the MagLev arrived at their destination, Olivine led them through a long tunnel, at the end of which they boarded a ground vehicle, which in turn took them to a lower level; at this point they disembarked and entered a turbo-lift, which took them to an even lower level.

They followed Olivine into a viewing booth, where they could see the mining operations without actually entering the mine. The miners who were working in the area all wore spacesuits and helmets complete with an oxygen-feed which permitted them to breathe. They were monitoring the equipment and the mechanization process. Soval could not tell whether the miners were Human, Vulcanorion, or Vulcan.

"There are only a few people working on this level—they're all either Human or Vulcan. No Vulcanorions, but we have begun some training classes to help teach them what they need to know...however, we're not going to spend too long on this area because we have new state-of-the-art technology which we have been slowly introducing, and the work is now almost 98% mechanized. Soon, we will be using androids to perform work in the most dangerous areas. Then, we won't need to worry about O2 feeds."

Soval was dismayed to learn that the Humans were planning to introduce androids to the work process. He certainly hoped that they would be more efficient than Maxine's "Tomm-1000" household assistant, which had crash-landed their dessert just a few days ago. Soval was personally uncomfortable with machines in sentient form. It seemed to him a sentimental attempt to make machines more emotionally appealing. Vulcan androids had been criticized for that very reason on his world, although many professed that they preferred androids to living Vulcans for the opposite reason: they offered the perfectly rational, emotionless state that Vulcans worked so hard all their lives to obtain. Very few people were capable of achieving that "perfect" state, however, and so the androids served to remind the Vulcans that they still had a great deal of work ahead of them.

Amongst the Humans, however, an absence of emotion was feared and mistrusted. Many Humans feared the androids, and they feared that they would take over work positions that were once exclusively held by biological beings. He knew also that many Vulcanorions and Shir'Kaya Vulcans feared technologies such as androids for the same reason. They were afraid of being rendered obsolete, and of having no purpose in life.

Olivine and Talcon were mirroring Soval's thoughts by arguing about the benefits of androids over biological beings.

"Human-built androids are far too error-prone," Talcon was saying to Olivine, "In spite of your beliefs to the contrary, they are nowhere near ready to take over the tasks of biological beings—their thought processes are too simplistic. They are not truly capable of independent thought and action."

"No, you're wrong, Talc," Olivine argued, "you just don't want to admit that Humans have invented something that Vulcans could not. You're jealous."

"I am incapable of jealousy," Talcon responded in an even tone, "and, by the way, your very first androids were patterned after Vulcan prototypes."

"No, they weren't," Olivine countered, "the _very _first androids were created in twenty-first century Japan, on Earth, about a hundred and fifty years ago."

"Those were primitive. They were not capable of _any _independent thought. The androids that you have _today_ created were indeed patterned after the original Vulcan prototypes, invented by Vadrak of Vulcan."

"Okay, okay," Olivine relented, "Hooray for Vadrak of Vulcan. But we did make a few changes to them—including giving them nice, round ears instead of pointed ones."

"Irrelevant," sniffed Talcon, "the shape of the units' ears do not affect their work performance...although I believe Vulcan ears to be more aesthetically pleasing."

"Excuse me, Ms. Fossa," Sorral interrupted the argument politely, "but what will be the need for Vulcanorion or Shir'Kaya workers if all these positions are taken over by androids and machines? I mean, I spent a lot of my time on Vulcan teaching in the Tribal Districts. The Shir'Kaya kids, both Vulcan and Vulcanorion, don't have a great deal of advanced education. If they keep coming to Mars, what will there be for them to do here?"

"An excellent question, Sorral," Olivine replied, "and I'm about to show you the answer. I have a special work program for the less educated among the new immigrants, and I designed it with them in mind. Most Humans don't want to do work that requires simple, repetitive tasks anymore—that's why androids are becoming so prevalent nowadays—but this is different. It utilizes some of the Shir'Kayas' amazing skills of craftsmanship. Follow me, and I'll show you...up the chute again, everyone. We're going to the upper level."

Olivine led them back up the way they had come, chatting about the amazing benefits of technology.

"Ms. Fossa," Maxine interrupted her spiel, "Do you think that your android technicians can help my Tomm?"

"I sure do, Sweetie," Olivine answered the girl tenderly, "You did the right thing bringing Tomm here to Mars. We Marsies are on the cutting edge of android technology!"

"You see, Daddy?" Maxine looked up at her father, "I told you it was worth it to bring Tomm to Mars! They can help him here."

"My back's still sore from loading up the parts, Pipsqueak," Maxine's brother Mark said to her, "So they darn well better get that contraption working a lot better than he has been."

"You stop calling Tomm a 'contraption', Mark—you meanie!" Maxine chided him.

"Okay, kids—that'll do," Forrest told them firmly, "Mark, remember you're here in a professional capacity, as a Student Envoy. Quit bugging your sister."

"Yes, Sir," Mark replied, before retreating into his normally quiet personality.

Olivine led them to another ground vehicle, which transported them to a large building. Inside, they were ushered into a work-room. It was filled with Shir'Kaya Vulcans and Vulcanorions, who were sitting at various work-stations, busily grinding, polishing, and engraving different kinds of gemstones.

"We have employed the Shir'Kaya Vulcans and Vulcanorions to help us make jewelry and figurines out of gemstones such as Opal and Peridot," Olivine explained, "Peridot is a variety of the mineral Olivine...one of my favorites. We discovered that many of the older Shir'Kaya workers are very talented gemstone carvers, so we used that skill in finding them work. We've also trained the younger ones in the whole process, and they're learning quite well."

They stopped at one of the work-stations, where young women and men were mixing slurry to aid in drilling and engraving. As Fer'at took notes furiously, Soval inspected the surroundings. He noted that the building and outer work conditions were clean and well-organized.

"How do you like this job?" Fer'at asked a Vulcanorion girl.

"Very well, Sir," the young woman replied, keeping her gaze trained on her work, "much, much better than working the mines on Vulcan."

"How do you cope with the boredom of performing the same task all day?" Fer'at continued his inquiry.

"Oh, we don't stay at the same job, Sir," the girl responded, "We rotate. Sometimes I mix slurry, sometimes I grind or drill or polish or engrave. The older ones carve the figurines by hand. We younger ones use the tools and machinery. I like it."

"We also get rest periods," a young man added, "we never got those at the Ta'Kaath Mines back in Shir'Kaya. I'd like to bring my whole family to Mars!"

"See?" Olivine declared proudly, "We've got a whole new generation of Vulcan Marsies beginning to form."

"The proper term should be 'Martians', Olivine," Talcon interjected, "I have spent at least half of my life on Mars, and I think it sounds more appropriate than 'Marsies', which sounds like one of your sucrose-laden confections."

"Oh, shush, Talc, you wet blanket, you," Olivine quipped in return, "I like 'Marsies' better. 'Martians' sounds like a bunch of green E.T.s from an old Sci-Fi movie."

Soval ignored their banter, but continued to move through the various work-stations, asking the workers questions as he did so. It was becoming obvious that the workers here had a far higher rate of job satisfaction than they did back on Vulcan, where the work tended to be concentrated in the mines. The Ta'Kaath mines, where Soval had worked as a young adolescent, were now becoming increasingly mechanized and the low-skill Tribal workers who had been working there for a century or more were no longer needed. They had then been forced to go to the traditional, less mechanized mines, which operated outside of governmental jurisdiction. These mines required their workers to work long, tedious hours in very dangerous conditions. It was an embarrassment to the rest of Vulcan that these kinds of ventures were still permitted to operate, but the current government seemed to think that bad work was better than no work for the more disenfranchised members of Vulcan-desert society. The only other alternative to the mines in Shir'Kaya, other than joining a Surakian monastery as Soval had done, was of course the infernal drug trade. This had raged on unabated, and the Vulcan High Command seemed surprisingly tolerant of it. Other Vulcan citizens, however, were not. Many groups of protest had formed around the need for educational reforms and a stricter policy towards drug offences. The Administrator of the High Command, V'Las, was not going to be able to ignore the citizens' voices forever. He had shown great leadership capacity in other areas, but the Jaboraxin Trade on Vulcan had grown under his watch.

Soval felt a disturbance in his chest area, and he breathed in deeply to dissipate it. The situation in his home district still upset him, and he was not certain that he approved of this "make-work" project that Ms. Fossa had concocted. Although it was admittedly a better work situation than the one on Vulcan, it seemed to him that it had been created merely to occupy the workers' time—almost as though they were children who needed some "program" to help them develop. Most if not all of the Vulcans and Vulcanorions here were miners, and it seemed rather insulting to them, Soval thought, that they must devote their time to making baubles for Human amusement. Still, he knew that Vulcan could offer them very little else of value, and he could not blame them for wanting to move their families here.

"This little project is under my supervision," Olivine stated, having given up her argument with Talcon to join the Ambassador, "I wanted to make sure that the Vulcan workers would have safe, clean, and humane conditions. When I found out what kind of conditions they worked under on Vulcan, I was really shocked. I'm really surprised that a civilization as technologically advanced as yours would not know how to take care of its own work force."

"We have no work force on Vulcan," Talcon interjected, once more throwing himself into the conversational arena with Ms. Fossa, "Properly educated Vulcans pursue careers. Those who are incapable of advanced education are trained in the skilled trades, and work which is similar to what you are doing here. But the Shir'Kaya Vulcans are stubborn, and they cling to the past. The Vulcanorion Hybrids are mainly created out of the Shir'Kaya desert population, and so they suffer from the same dilemma. They all refuse to modernize, and their youth are paying the price for it in the form of drug abuse and idleness. In some ways, it is their own fault."

"You speak from ignorance, Talcon," Soval told the young man sharply, "You have no experience of Shir'Kaya, and you do not understand the complexities of the problems they face. I grew up in Shir'Kaya, and I well know the obstacles involved in entering the larger Vulcan society."

"What you say is also not entirely correct, Talcon," Fer'at retorted, his calm demeanor giving way to irritation at the impudent young man, "Soval and I, in addition to many other Shir'Kayas, have managed to enter the first tier of the Vulcan education system in spite of all the obstacles put in our way. I have worked for the past eighty years to improve conditions in our district, and I am very well aware of their challenges. It is _not _all their fault. We, the Vulcan people, bear the larger burden of responsibility for what is happening to the youth of Shir'Kaya and other desert tribal societies on Vulcan."

"As you say, my elders," Talcon conceded, "I offer you my apology for what you consider to be my uneducated opinion."

At this point in the conversation, Forrest took Soval aside.

"Ambassador," he said, "You and I are going to be meeting tomorrow with one of the top Ministers of the United Earth Planetary Council, Nathan Samuels. Apparently, there are some Earth officials who are concerned about the number of Orion people who are coming to Mars, both from Vulcan and now from Andoria as well. There are a lot of...Orion-Andorians who have been coming through here recently. I even noticed a few on the floor of Ms. Fossa's work project. I don't mean to be insulting, but the Andorians are...well, kind of an unknown element to us at the moment. I know Jon and the crew of the Enterprise have been making a lot of progress in establishing relations with them, but we still don't know how far we can trust them. We now have a newly appointed Andorian Ambassador, Ka'Jar Ch'Zhek. He'll be meeting with us tomorrow, and he wants to work with us in dealing with this budding Orion Drug Trade that we're all so afraid is going to take root on Mars. Do you know him?"

"I am very familiar with Ka'Jar Ch'Zhek," Soval replied, "I worked with him a number of times, and found him to be quite well-contained for an Andorian. He is a member of one of the less aggressive male genders amongst Andorians. Unfortunately for us, however, he represents a government full of Alpha-males, or _Thans._ It is unlikely that we will be receiving rational solutions from the Andorian government. Some amongst them would like to exterminate all the Orion-Andorians if they could get away with it. The influx of Orion-Andorians could be in response to a threat from their own government."

"Oh, boy," Forrest replied, a grim expression on his face, "So we could be looking at a refugee crisis. Can we count on Vulcan support in dealing with this?"

"I will do everything in my power to ensure that we arrive at a peaceful solution, of course," Soval assured the Admiral, "but there are a number of Vulcan and Vulcanorion citizens that may be working against us. I believe Mr. Talcon has been collecting information on which ones are of interest, and which we can safely regard as non-threatening to Martian security."

"Do you think Talcon and the rest of the Vulcan Security people will cooperate with our security teams?"

"I will strongly urge Sirtek to help as much as he can," Soval answered, "He does not particularly care for me, but he will want to stop this criminal minority from disgracing Vulcan with its actions. If we could manage to combine Human, Vulcan, and Andorian security forces to address this issue, we might manage to '_nip it in the bud'_, as you Humans are fond of saying."

"There's another problem, besides the Orion Drug business," Forrest added, "There are ministers in the Earth government who do not favor people of Orion heritage being granted entry to Earth. I think this Hybridization idea has them running scared. They're worried about the creation of a Humanorion underclass."

"That," replied Soval, "is a distinct possibility, Admiral. I recently met a being named Kelsad, who is the mate of Fer'at's daughter, Jovan. He is descended from four separate genetic backgrounds: Orion, Andorian, Vulcan...and Human. Apparently, he and Jovan have already procreated; and so the Andorian and Human gene pools will be entering Fer'at's family. He is having difficulty accepting this—and he is one who has been among the most open-minded of Vulcans towards the Vulcanorion population."

"And if Kelsad's got some Human in him...do we have a responsibility to grant him entry to either Mars or Earth...I mean, our constitutions guarantee all Humans the right to settle on at least one of our worlds without intimidation or harassment. There's nothing in our documents, however, that specify whether that also pertains to Hybrid-Humans. This could get a little hectic."

"And with the arrival of people like Kelsad, it has already begun," Soval concurred, "I must admit, it seemed to me that Kelsad carried a grudge against Vulcan society for the manner in which he was treated on our world. I cannot judge him severely for that, however, since I had many problems of the same nature growing up on the margins of our society. I would advise you to tread carefully with this issue, Admiral. Do not be too quick to accept these people into your midst, but do not ignore opportunities to align them with your world's culture, either. I'm afraid it is a very difficult issue to balance."

"This is gonna be a real double-edged sword," Forrest murmured, as they turned to follow Olivine Fossa out of the work-station door. When they had finished touring the rest of the compound, seeing the other culinary and service-oriented jobs that the Shir'Kaya-Vulcanorions were performing, they were picked up by a large shuttle-bus. As they boarded the bus, Soval noticed that the driver was a rather surly-looking Vulcan. It was no doubt another make-work position for a Shir'Kaya Vulcan, he thought to himself. He felt, however, something else from the man—something very disturbing. Soval lectured himself to restrain his irrational "feelings" and adhere to logical observation only. Even when he observed dispassionately, he noticed that the Vulcan appeared to be anxious, and perhaps distraught.

The bus took off at a rather alarming rate, before either he or Forrest could take their seats. Soval gave Talcon a questioning look, and the young man peered suspiciously at the driver.

"Excuse me, Sir!" Talcon cried out, "But where are you taking us? I believe we are to go in the opposite direction."

When he received no response, Talcon went to the front of the bus.

"I order you to halt at once. Please explain yourself," he told the Vulcan, "You are transporting diplomats, a Starfleet Admiral, and their families. If you do not stop immediately, I will be forced to draw my weapon upon you."

As Talcon reached for his phaser pistol, the driver suddenly put on the brakes, and Talcon was thrown with a thud to the front window. The driver got up and brought out a laser-rifle, disarming the stunned Talcon in one swift motion.

"I am Valk," he told them, "Do what I say and you will not be harmed. You are now under the custody of the Vulcan-Orion-Andorian Alliance."

"What the hell...?" Olivine Fossa jumped up, glaring at the man, "Valk! What are you doing? I entrusted you with this job!"

"For which I am very grateful, Ms. Fossa," Valk replied, "But I have other plans for my life than being a slave-laborer for _Marsies_."

He opened the door and several men stormed on board loaded with weapons of varying degrees of strength. Some were Vulcanorion, others Andorian-Orions, and still others were full Andorians or Vulcans. One of the men, a full Andorian, cuffed Talcon's hands behind his back and threw him down on the centre of the aisle.

"There you go, you little snob," he said scathingly to the young man, "No one here deserves this more than you do. I can't wait to see the smug look wiped off of your father's face when he finds out that we've captured his Security-Officer son."

"Hey!" Olivine shouted out, "You watch how you treat Talc!"

"We are sorry about this, Olivine," Valk said to her, "but we are doing what we must to ensure that our people receive the appropriate rights that are due them."

"Surely, Valk," Soval said to the Vulcan gently, "You do not believe that this illegal act will help our people?"

"We have been ill treated for long enough, Old Man," Valk responded, "You should know all about that, having grown up in Shir'Kaya. I will listen to no more foolishness. Bind their hands!"

Valk gestured to a young man to carry out the order. A green Vulcan-Andorian stepped forward with a collection of handcuffs. As he put the first pair of manacles on Soval, the diplomat suddenly recognized, with great shock, who it was; and Kelsad, the intended mate of Fer'at's daughter Jovan, stared back at him with hatred in his eyes.


	6. Chapter 6: A Chaotic Capture

14

_**The Vulcanorion Connection**_

_**Chapter Six: A Chaotic Capture **_

The eight hostages sat silently in the holding area, a large abandoned warehouse at the edge of the Nili Fossae Compound. Their hands and feet had all been bound, and so movement was difficult at best. Maxine had lain her head on her father's chest, and Forrest was speaking softly to her, trying to reassure her that all would be well, and that they would be rescued.

Soval wished that young Maxine could have more reason to hope, but he was becoming less certain of that with each passing hour. Talcon had been brought to another area, where the kidnappers were "questioning" him. The main leader of the gang was a large Andorian Than named Th'Orran. Thus far, he had proved himself to be both aggressive and sadistic. He seemed to glory in their fear. His associate, the Vulcan named Valk, seemed a little less inclined to bully them, but he was indifferent to their plight. Apparently, his only interest lay in demanding rights for the Tribal people of Vulcan; if so, he was going about it in exactly the wrong way. If Soval could have just a minute with him, he thought that there might be a possibility of convincing him of the consequences of his traitorous act and changing his mind. He could not, however, get through to Valk because the wayward Vulcan was constantly accompanied by Th'Orran, whose cruelty threatened anyone who dared to express an opinion. He was becoming quite concerned about Talcon, who had been gone for a long time.

The Vulcanorion who had been guarding them was now being relieved from duty by Kelsad, who took the laser rifle and stood, expressionless, staring straight ahead. The pair of antennae on his head stood as straight as he was, and his black hair hung down over his partially covered pointed ears. As Soval observed the young "_Vulcandorion",_ he noticed a certain lack of confidence in him, something which did not seem to plague the other members of his group. As he looked into Kelsad's eyes, he noticed that the young man lowered his gaze slightly, as though unsure of what he had become involved with. Soval closed his eyes and took a deep breath before attempting to speak with the young Orion Hybrid. He knew that they had to begin somewhere if they were to regain their freedom.

"Kelsad," he finally ventured, "What do _you _hope to gain from this criminal action? Surely you know that it will only result in either imprisonment or death for you and your fellows?"

"Do not attempt to speak with me, Old Man!" Kelsad snarled, as menacingly as he could manage, "Th'Orran warned me that you would attempt to charm me with idle promises!"

"I hardly think that imprisonment and death are idle promises, when you have kidnapped two members of the Vulcan Consulate, a Starfleet Admiral, a Tour Guide, two Diplomacy students, and two innocent children, not to mention our Security Guard. Tell me, Kelsad, do you intend to torture all of us, or has that particular privilege been reserved solely for Talcon?"

Kelsad stared ahead of himself, his face wearing a blank, frozen look. It was as if he could not believe what he had just done.

"I will answer none of your questions, Soval," he said finally, "If I were you, I would not speak out against your capture too loudly. Th'Orran has this room bugged, and you are under constant surveillance. You will not escape, and you cannot negotiate your way out of this."

"I imagine that no one will be negotiating with any of you," Soval retorted, "You will simply be killed, whether or not we survive the rescue attempt. You must know that? Your cause will then be set back for many, many years. You will not help your people."

"What do you know of my cause?" Kelsad shouted, "And who are my people—the Vulcans? The Andorians? The Orions? The Humans? Perhaps I am simply weary of living my life as a multi-species freak!"

"Ambassador," Forrest whispered to Soval, "Let's back off of this guy, okay? At least until my people and yours figure out a way to get the kids out. Maxine is pretty traumatized by all of this."

"We will be rescued, Maxine!" Sethir reassured her, "Do not fret. Don't let them see that you're afraid...they will think that they have won!"

"They _have _won!" Maxine countered, her voice trembling, "We're tied up in a warehouse where no one can find us!"

"Sethir!" Fer'at scolded the boy, "You will be quiet. We do not want to draw their attention to you and Maxine. Soval—I have been observing these people. Kelsad and the others are, I believe, ready to die for whatever cause they believe in. It will do us no good to try to appeal to their rationality, for they have none."

Kelsad had moved closer to Fer'at, Soval noticed with great discomfort. He could only hope that the psychiatrist would have enough sense not to call Kelsad 'The Andorian' again.

"You, Fer'at!" Kelsad growled, "You never thought I was good enough for your daughter, did you?"

"Kelsad," Fer'at replied to him, keeping his voice as calm as he could, "You are pointing a laser rifle at me. How do you expect me to respond to your question—by giving you my blessing?"

Kelsad glared at Fer'at for a full minute before backing off and returning to his more neutral and expressionless guard's pose.

"Dad," Sorral called to him softly, "Do you and Dr. Fer'at know that guy—Kelsad?"

"He was the intended mate of Jovan, Sorral," Soval whispered, "I caution you to be silent at the present time."

The group fell back into silence for a time. Finally the doors thundered open and Th'Orran the Andorian strode in, accompanied by Valk and two of his men, who were dragging a bruised and bloodied Talcon with them. As the doors slammed shut, they threw Talcon to the floor in front of his fellow prisoners. The young Security officer tried to stand, but was forced down to his knees by Th'Orran. Talcon's green blood oozed out of a cut on his forehead, and his face was covered in green bruises.

"Will you look at the Mighty Guard Talcon?" Th'Orran announced to them, "He is so green now that perhaps he finally knows how Orions feel when they walk into a room and are shunned. This is how well your so-called 'Security Guard' has protected you!"

"Talc!" Olivine cried, in great distress, "Please, Mr. Th'Orran, don't hurt him anymore—I beg you!"

"Don't defend me, Olivine," Talcon told her, "It will only make things worse."

"Well, well," Th'Orran taunted them, "What have we here? Surely the son of Sirtek The Superior One has not taken up with an inferior Human woman? Are you, a married man, the clandestine lover of Ms. Fossa, _'Talc'_? And would your noble father not be ashamed of you if he knew? I will need to mention that when I send in our 'Hostages' Report', which I have graciously offered to provide to your families."

"Dad!" Sorral whispered to his father, "We need to do something—I mean, Talcon and I don't really get on that well, but I hate seeing him like this—we can't let this bullying of him proceed much further or he's going to collapse!"

"Silence, Sorral," his father replied tersely, "Talcon is a Vulcan Security Guard. He will have been trained to suppress his pain."

"Talcon," Th'Orran ordered him, "I want you to apologize to me, right here in front of your compatriots and friends. Apologize for your rudeness and arrogance towards my people, and the Orion Hybrid people. I want to hear you surrender your Vulcan pride."

"I apologize," Talcon replied, obeying the command with little emotion in his voice, "I apologize to you, Th'Orran, to your people, and to the Vulcanorions to whom I have behaved rudely and arrogantly. I surrender my Vulcan pride to you."

Th'Orran regarded Talcon as if disappointed.

"No, I'm afraid that won't do," he opined snidely, "I want to hear you grovel before me. You'd better grovel well, or I'll take your Human girlfriend for questioning next."

Talcon's eyes betrayed his fear, which pleased Th'Orran immensely. Soval tried to transmit to the young man as much meditative peace as he could muster under the circumstances. Talcon caught his eye, and drew in a breath.

"I...Talcon...have disgraced myself in speaking rudely to your people, Th'Orran," he stammered, less in control of his emotions now, "I ask you to take your vengeance out on me, and not on these good people before me. You know that I am the one who deserves your wrath, and therefore you should focus your efforts on me alone. I now realize the gravity of my errors, and I ask...I _beg _your forgiveness..."

"Yes, that's much better!" Th'Orran crowed victoriously, "Please, continue your groveling, Talcon, so that I can capture it all on our recording monitor. We want to send it to your father as a gift."

Talcon continued on in much the same vein, becoming less sure of himself with every word. Soval knew what Th'Orran was trying to do. Vulcans were very adept at suppressing physical pain, and so they weren't much fun for people like Th'Orran to torture. He could, however, use Talcon's relationships with others to manipulate his behavior. At present, the young Security Guard was being used to humiliate Vulcans in general, and Sirtek in particular...which told Soval that Th'Orran's real cause was likely revenge. He doubted very much if a man such as Th'Orran cared about people like Kelsad or Valk, who wanted to make a strong statement on behalf of the rights of their people.

Talcon had halted his speech of submission, and was hanging his head in shame. Soval fought to suppress his rage at Th'Orran. Right now, he wanted to reach out and rip out the Andorian's liver, but he knew that would not help Talcon.

"_Oh, how I love to see Vulcans grovel!"_ Th'Orran cried out in victory, "Very well, Talcon, I think you have been conquered well enough to please me. You may lie beside your lover Olivine and rest now."

Olivine looked at Th'Orran as though she would have liked to murder him, but she said nothing as Talcon staggered over to her and dropped down, exhausted from his ordeal. She moved as close as she could to him, given that her hands and feet were tied, and whispered encouragement. The rest of them lowered their eyes, as if by doing so they would avoid attracting Th'Orran's attention.

"Now," Th'Orran asked them, "Who would like to go next? I am particularly fond of tormenting Vulcans, but perhaps I am being too prejudiced. I should try a Human next! What about you, Admiral Forrest? You're a Military Man. You could withstand my love and care..."

"_No!" _Maxine shrieked, "No! Don't you take my Daddy!"

"Th'Orran," Soval quickly distracted the Andorian, "Surely a man as strong and courageous as you does not want to spend his time upsetting children! Take me, since I am Vulcan...and you do seem to have a particular vendetta against us. I am the Vulcan Ambassador to Earth. Would you not like to send forth a recording of me groveling to you? Perhaps you could send it to the Vulcan High Command, and use it to underline your grievances with Vulcan...for it is the Vulcans, and _not _the Humans, with whom you have had problems. Am I correct?"

"Yes, indeed you are, Soval!" Th'Orran agreed, "and I do believe that you were one of those nasty creatures who served almost a century ago at our former colony of _Weytahn_—the one you people call _Paan Mokar_—and stole it from us, displacing the colonists. My grandfather was, in fact, one of those murdered by your lot, did you know that?"

"The conflict was most regrettable. We lost people on both sides because of our failure to negotiate."

"Mostly, _'we'_ lost people on the Andorian side! The Vulcans who died deserved their fates, seeing as how they were the main aggressors."

"Is that what this is about, Th'Orran? A century-old conflict between Vulcans and Andorians? Why involve the Humans, if that is the case? Perhaps you would do well to set the Humans free, since this is their world. They have nothing to do with any of this."

"Yes, they do!" Valk cried, "The issue that we are fighting for has nothing to do with your ridiculous conflict over a dead planetoid. We are Vulcanorions, and the Shir'Kaya Vulcans who mate with them. We understand that Sirtek, the great Scientist\Mars Envoy, has been involved in discussions with the Earth Minister Nathan Samuels about a plan to exterminate our people through the creation of a so-called 'Destroyer Gene' which is to be implanted into certain unsuspecting Orion females and which will either kill or severely disable any Hybrid fetus which is conceived. The plan will no doubt involve either kidnapping and drugging our females, or bribing them with empty promises of a better life on Earth. Once the gene becomes active within our population, it will take away our ability to reproduce by eliminating our young—particularly the females. We thought that we would be pro-active in the fight against this and hold you hostage before you have a chance to do the same to us."

"It is odd, Valk," Soval responded, "that I saw no Orion females among you when you took us hostage."

"They are there, in the background," Valk assured him, "and they support us, since we are doing this to save our people. We intend to create many protests such as this one, to remind you that we, too, have the right to procreate without interference. I myself am a Vulcanorion, although it does not show in my skin pigmentation."

"Tell me more about this 'Destroyer Gene', Valk. I have never heard of it before," Soval encouraged him.

"You do not need to know anything about it, Soval!" Th'Orran shouted, as if attempting to regain his authority, "I have just been informed that I have two more hostages. They will be coming to join you shortly."

"Perhaps," Soval continued, "If you were to communicate your issues to me, I could make a case for you. If you are to garner support for your cause amongst the Humans, I assure you that kidnapping them is a very poor way to begin the conversation."

"You will be silent, Old Man!" Th'Orran screamed, "Do not try to con us with your idle promises. You will _not _speak for us, but rather you will betray us to the authorities. Do you think we are so stupid? Perhaps I will take you up on your offer, and have you grovel before me. I like your idea of sending the recording to the Vulcan High Command..."

"No, Th'Orran!" Valk cried, "Enough of these games! We did not have you join us so that you could injure our cause with your sadistic little tricks. It is overkill! We can use this old _sehlat _to speak for us—as long as he and his friends are in our custody, I believe we can get him to do it. If you persist in sending out these idiotic transmissions, however, the Humans will lose patience and storm the whole building."

"The Humans are too weak for that!" Th'Orran bellowed back at Valk, "I warned you, Valk, about challenging my authority..."

"I told you that your 'authority' was only for the initial hostage-taking. After that, you were to cede all decisions to me!"

"Ah...was I? Well, I have changed my mind. You are obviously as weak as the Humans, Valk. We cannot have such a one as you in a leadership position. Should I torture you next, Valk? Kelsad—bind Mr. Valk's hands and feet and put him over there with the hostages."

Kelsad stared at Th'Orran in horrified shock. He had obviously not been expecting this sudden dispute between his two leaders. He hesitated.

"Kelsad..." Th'Orran began menacingly; he stopped when his two other men turned their laser rifles on him.

"Kelsad," Valk commanded the young man, "bind Th'Orran's hands and feet—and leave him here with the hostages."

"You cannot do this!" Th'Orran thundered, "You gave me your word of honor, Valk! You said that I would command this venture with you...I should have known that I could not trust a Vulcan...you vile snake!"

"I gave you my word of honor that I would let you command this protest _with _me, Th'Orran—not _over me_. You have been disrespecting and disobeying almost every command that I have given you since we took the hostages. Your usefulness has come to an end. It is now _your turn_ to grovel."

Th'Orran gave a blood-curdling yell and threw himself against Valk, knocking him down. Kelsad finally came out of his state of indecision and stunned Th'Orran by butting his head with the end of his laser rifle. He then quickly cuffed the former leader's hands and feet with extra-strong double-shackles, which he had been keeping in his satchel in case of an emergency.

Valk ordered the two Vulcanorion men to throw Th'Orran in the corner, near the hostages. He turned to Soval.

"Old Man, we will no longer be tormenting you or the others. You are under our custody until such time as the authorities either kill us or capture us. If I make it possible, will you honor your earlier offer to us and give them our message? You will talk to Sirtek over our communication channel. He is threatening to storm the building with his officers, whether or not it kills you and the others. The Humans are more concerned about your welfare, and they are holding him off, for now. You know what it is to live in Shir'Kaya, with its miserable conditions. It would be in all our interests that you speak for us, clearly and concisely."

"Valk," Soval began, "of all the extremist groups that I have been forced to communicate with, I must say that yours is the most disorganized of them all. If you want me to speak for you to Sirtek and the Humans, I need to know what your goals are, _clearly and concisely. _ Am I to speak to the issue of the disputed Andorian/Vulcan colony world, or the conditions in Shir'Kaya, or this...'Destroyer Gene' that you have told us about?"

"I told you—I don't care about that ridiculous Andorian-Vulcan dispute. That was Th'Orran's concern, and he is now out of this mission. The conditions in Shir'Kaya have created this problem because the Vulcan government has not been doing what it should to eliminate the Drug Lords who lure us into enslavement to the Orion Drug Traders. We believe it is part of a Vulcan plan to eliminate us slowly, through our own addiction and despair. It is part of the problem, and you can communicate that to them; but the main issue is the Earth's interest in Sirtek's 'Destroyer Gene' scheme. He wishes to exterminate us by creating a diseased population which can no longer reproduce. We consider this to be a form of genocide! From what we understand, Minister Nathan Samuels has been in conversation with Sirtek, and he is bringing the information to the other Ministers. Earth and Mars represent our last hope for a decent life, for ourselves and for our children. Both Vulcan and Andoria have cast us aside. If we had staged this protest on either of those worlds, all of us would be dead by now...they would have simply blown us to bits before we had any opportunity to communicate our needs."

"Valk," Forrest finally broke into the conversation, tension lining his voice, "Why didn't you just come and talk to us? You must know that this action has given those Ministers who would be interested in such a 'Destroyer Gene' the necessary fuel to argue for its implementation! There are many in our government who I know would not support the idea of genetic manipulation in order to deal with the influx of Orion visitors. But now...the few who are interested in Sirtek's idea will argue that Orion people are all barbaric aliens who want to harm Humans!"

Valk stared ahead of himself for a moment before answering.

"You would not have spoken with us," he replied to Forrest, "You would have been like the Vulcans and Andorians, telling us that our concerns were not important to you, because most of us are very poor and powerless."

"If you think we're just like the Vulcans and Andorians," Forrest asked in an exasperated tone, "then why do you want to settle here so badly?"

"Valk," Sorral suddenly jumped into the conversation, to his father's annoyance, "I've been raised on Earth. I know the Humans, and I also know the Vulcans because my parents are from the Vulcan home-world. Believe me; Humans are much more open than either the Vulcans or the Andorians to others! They accepted me, an alien, into their midst, and they would accept your people, too. But you have to learn to trust a little more. You can't get what you want by beginning the conversation with violence!"

"Violence is all non-Hybrids understand," Valk murmured, "The minute any population hears that it is 'in danger' of being _'hybridized'_, it loses all compassion for those who had no say in the matter to begin with. This scheme for hybridizing other species was started by the Orion Syndicate—a group of people who are considered by almost every Orion Hybrid to be our enemies because they only want to use us to conquer other worlds. We, however, will not cooperate with them. We only want dignity and life for our children! We do not care about our own lives. Let us die speaking out for our future."

"But-you don't have to die, Valk!" Forrest's son Mark interjected, "I've got a whole load of my class-mates who would make incredible arguments for your people, if only you'd risk trusting Humans long enough to give us a chance to offer you something."

Valk was beginning to appear as though he were uncertain as to his plan. It was as if he had embarked on his hostage-taking venture with little fore-thought, but only his desperation and resentment to empower himself and his rag-tag group.

They were interrupted once again as the doors to the warehouse were flung open and a group of Vulcanorions and Vulcan-Andorian Hybrids marched in. They threw two new hostages to the ground, one Human and the other an Andorian. Their hands were already bound, and Kelsad went over to them hastily to bind their feet.

Soval recognized both men as Minister Nathan Samuels and the Andorian Ambassador, Ka'Jar Ch'Zhek. Before anyone had a chance to speak to them, however, a particularly large Vulcan-Andorian bellowed, "What is this? Valk, why is Th'Orran shackled and unconscious?"

"Th'Orran is no longer in command!" Valk boomed authoritatively, "I am. He has been playing stupid games with the hostages, and he must be disciplined for it! Do not challenge me on this, Zallyn."

Zallyn, a huge man with a green complexion, white hair, pointed ears, and a pair of Andorian antennae, looked as if he was preparing himself to attack Valk. Valk gestured at the two Vulcanorion guards, who pointed their guns at Zallyn.

"You will end up like Th'Orran, if you defy me, Zallyn," Valk told him angrily.

"This was not what we agreed to," he muttered, but he did not move against the new Leader.

"We of Andorian heritage are the ones who brought you these two high-value hostages," another Vulcan-Andorian, who had blue skin and black hair, added, "We have risked much. Is this how you repay us, Valk? By binding our leader and turning him into a hostage?"

"We will discuss this further, on our own," Valk responded to the two malcontents, "not in front of the hostages. They already think us disorganized as it is."

Valk left orders for three guards, in addition to Kelsad, to stand watch over the prisoners. As they left, Minister Samuels pulled himself up into a sitting position and let out a heavy breath.

"Are you all right, Ambassador Ka'Jar?" he asked the Andorian diplomat.

"I am as well as can be expected," Ka'Jar replied, "This is typical of Orion hostage-taking on Andoria: they are disorganized, their leaders fight one another—chaos and confusion, all around. I feel most discouraged that they have already begun their criminal activity on the Human worlds, even before the Humans have had a chance to oppress them! I suppose this is what they would call being 'pro-active'. Hello, Soval. It is good to see you again. I wish we were meeting under more favorable circumstances."

"Ambassador Ka'Jar," Soval responded, "And Minister Samuels. It is agreeable to welcome you both into our new abode."

"Minister Samuels, Ambassador Ka'Jar," Forrest interjected, "Are either of you injured? Some of these guys have been pretty rough, especially on that poor Vulcan kid over there."

"We're okay," Samuels responded, "But you're right, Admiral—it looks to me as if Sirtek's son _has _taken a real beating. This whole mess is all because of something called a 'Destroyer Gene' that Sirtek and his group of scientists have engineered specifically to stop the spread of Orion hybridization of different species...this is what we were supposed to have talked about at the briefing tomorrow. I wish we had never gotten into it, but certain ministers in the government wanted to know about Sirtek's discovery because they felt threatened by all the Orion people who were coming through Mars with hopes of settling on Earth. Most of them only want to escape the Orion Drug Traders, but there are a few like these clowns who have just captured us, who think that violence will solve their problems."

"Valk has recently told us about the 'Destroyer Gene' thing," Forrest replied, "If they'd just have come to us first, to talk to us. We could have opened a dialogue about it, at least. But now...these guys have just screwed their own cause."

"They will be made to pay for this, Admiral Forrest," Ka'Jar remarked darkly, "The Mars, Vulcan, and Andorian security forces will cast aside their differences for now and will work together to free us. The Humans want to try communication first, before risking your lives in a more forceful encounter. They want to negotiate the release of the two children first, and then possibly the students and the Tour Guide. That fool, Th'Orran, wished to keep the children for greater leverage, but I see that Th'Orran has already been taken out. Our would-be liberators may have more luck with this Valk character, as he does not wish to try the patience of government officials quite as badly as the Th'Orran did."

Soval took a minute to centre himself as the words of his colleagues settled into his mind. When he opened his eyes, he saw that the Admiral's daughter, Maxine, was not coping well. Mark Forrest was attempting to soothe her, but she was sobbing convulsively.

"Damn it," Forrest swore, deeply concerned for his daughter's welfare, "We've got to get Maxine and Sethir out of here. Ambassador, is there _any _way to reason with Valk? To convince him to at least let the two youngest kids go, if not the older two as well?"

"I'm not leaving you, Dad," Mark told his father stoically.

"Yes, you will, if we can arrange it," Forrest told his son firmly, "I need you to help support Maxine, Mark."

"And you will go to accompany Sethir, Sorral," Soval told his son, "If it is possible for us to negotiate such a release."

"What about everyone else, Dad?" Sorral asked, "I'd feel weird leaving all of you behind with these crazy kidnappers."

"You will do what is necessary, Sorral," Soval stated tersely, "I do not want to see you or Sethir being given the same treatment that Talcon received. Neither of you have been properly trained in pain suppression. You would not withstand it."

"Talc barely withstood it, Ambassador," Olivine added, "And he needs to receive medical care. If there are hostages freed, he needs to go with them."

"I am in charge of your security, Olivine!" Talcon objected, "As well as that of the others. I cannot abandon my duty in order to look after myself. It is my fault that we are here in the first place, and I refuse to leave until this situation has been resolved."

"_This is not your fault, Talc!" _Olivine exclaimed, "Blast your bloody sense of Vulcan duty."

Soval led Talcon through a couple of self-healing techniques in order to quell the tension between the Security Guard and his friend Olivine Fossa. He understood the young man's reluctance to leave, and his tendency to blame himself for the whole fiasco.

"Mr. Talcon," Soval said to the young man after the self-healing techniques were complete, "You must not waste your energy in self-recrimination. It will do us no good. You took what action you deemed necessary in order to protect us, but there were a large group of them and you are only one man. You attempted to sacrifice yourself through volunteering for more torture sessions so that the others would be spared that treatment. Can you not simply accept that you have done what you could under difficult circumstances?"

Th'Orran the Andorian began to stir as they spoke. He groggily pushed himself up into a sitting position.

"Talcon is right!" Th'Orran expostulated, "He has failed to protect you, and his father Sirtek will do the same. He will abandon you all to die at the hands of the joint Vulcan/Andorian/Human forces."

"Who the hell asked you, Th'Orran?" Olivine screamed, "You're out of the mission, didn't you hear Valk? You just keep your big blue mouth shut!"

The tensions were growing as the time wore on, Soval realized. He had no idea what the authorities were planning, but he knew that they needed to remain calm if they were to have a chance of survival.

"Sirtek is not in charge of this situation, Th'Orran," Soval informed him, "It is doubtful that the Security forces will be acting on his orders alone. We are on a Human world, not a Vulcan or Andorian colony. The Humans will have the final say, and so it is premature to make predictions based upon little more than your biased assumptions."

"I must say, Th'Orran," Talcon interjected, "That it is little wonder that you are so obsessed with my father. You remind me a great deal of him."

"When my men free me, Talcon," Th'Orran growled onerously, "You will pay for that particular insult."

While they had been speaking, Kelsad had moved closer to Soval, until he was standing over him. He untied his foot shackles and drew him up.

"Valk has called for you, Old Man," Kelsad informed him, "We are ready for you to make our statement for us."

"Tell Valk that I will make the statement, Kelsad," Soval replied, "But that I require the release of at least four of the younger hostages in return. The two children, especially, must be freed or I will make no statement for you."

Kelsad pushed him roughly towards the door in response.


	7. Chapter 7: The Message

10

_**The Vulcanorion Connection**_

_**Chapter Seven: The Message **_

"We will transmit _no _message from the criminals, Soval!" Sirtek insisted through Valk's communication monitor, "If we negotiate with these vile creatures, others of their ilk will think they can get away with similar kinds of acts."

Soval exchanged glances with Admiral Forrest, who had been brought into the group's "control room" to make a statement of his own. He was to reinforce Soval's statement, and, provided that Valk was satisfied with both statements, he had appeared willing to set the youngest hostages, Maxine and Sethir, free.

"Sirtek," Soval replied in an even tone, "I need to inform you that your son, Talcon, has been injured. He was tortured for a prolonged period of time, and he requires medical treatment. I have agreed to issue a statement stating the specific aims of these people. They wish to protest this creation of yours—the so-called 'Destroyer Gene'. Valk will set two of the children free, if I am successful in communicating their message to the Vulcan, Andorian, and Earth governments."

"We already know their message," Sirtek protested, "It is doubtful that they will set the youngsters free. Before you arrived to be their willing mouthpiece, they were speaking about replacing the child hostages with another two adults—I believe your wife, T'Nak, is one of the volunteer replacements. She is like most Shir'Kayas—she follows only her emotion, and seeks the release of her son Sorral. The other is Admiral Forrest's wife, Mariel Woods. She seeks the same for her children, and the larger issues do not matter to either of them. I, on the other hand, am unmoved by emotional arguments. I will not be manipulated into negotiation simply because my son is one of the hostages. Talcon is a trained Security Officer. He failed to prevent this ridiculous travesty to begin with, and he knows it is his duty to remain until the rest are free. He will give up his life for them, if necessary."

"Talcon has shown great courage and willingness to sacrifice himself, Sirtek," Soval told the Envoy to Mars, "But he has sacrificed enough of his blood. Let me make this statement, and Valk has agreed to set the younger children free. It will do no good for T'Nak and Mariel to offer themselves to these thieves, for Valk has refused to set either my son or Forrest's free. He thinks it will make him appear weak before the others in his gang. Still, the children will need someone to accompany them, and because Talcon needs medical care, Forrest and I are willing to let him go ahead of our own sons. I have attempted to teach him self-healing techniques, but it will not be enough. None of us can attend to him, for our arms and feet are bound while in our holding cell."

"Soval," Sirtek said to him sternly, "If you make a statement for these rogues, I will refuse to send it to Vulcan."

"That will not matter, Sirtek," Soval replied, "For I am the Vulcan Ambassador to Earth, not you. I will decide whether or not it gets sent to the High Command. Please put Admiral Washington on."

Sirtek glowered at Soval, but did as he was asked.

The image of a middle-aged, dark-skinned woman appeared on the screen. Admiral Karen Washington had a grim expression on her face.

"Ambassador Soval," she greeted him, "and Max. How are you and the others coping?"

"We are undamaged, Admiral," Soval answered, "But one young man is injured, and the Admiral's daughter is not coping well emotionally. She needs to be removed from this situation at once. I will let you converse with Admiral Forrest."

"Admiral Washington, Ma'am," Forrest said to her, his expression equally as grim as hers, "I'd like to ask that you transmit the message that Soval and I are going to give to the Earth, Andorian, and Vulcan governments. What they choose to do about those messages will be up to them, but our main goal at the moment is to get the kids out of here. Preferably, I'd like to get all six of the young people out, but Valk seems to feel that if he did that, there would be a mutiny among his group. So our focus is on Maxine and Sethir. Soval is right, though. Please don't let our wives swap themselves for the kids—it won't do any good in terms of setting the other kids free. It'll only mean that there'll be more of us in this mess, and we don't want that. If we can convince Talcon to accompany the two youngest children to safety, it would be the best thing at present."

"You must replace the missing hostages, Valk!" Zallyn, the _Vulcandorian,_ cried from the back of the room, "or we will free Th'Orran and take over the operation ourselves!"

"As you can see, Admiral," Soval interjected, "our position here is very tenuous. Let us delay no more. I am willing to make my statement, now."

Washington nodded, and indicated that they were ready to receive the statement.

Soval sat down and collected his thoughts. He had not had any opportunity to write his thoughts down, as he normally preferred to do before issuing a statement, and so he would simply have to speak spontaneously.

"This is Soval, Vulcan Ambassador to Earth," he began, "I am currently under the custody of a group of Vulcan-Andorian-Orions who have taken myself, my colleagues, and our families hostage. The leader of this group, Valk of Vulcan, has asked me to make a statement on behalf of his group, stating their beliefs and what they hope to accomplish in committing this crime. I wish to state categorically that my words should in no way be considered an endorsement of their atrocious conduct. Although the issue that they seek to redress is worthy of profound consideration, the method that they have chosen to communicate it is both reckless and morally reprehensible..."

"Get on with it, Soval!" Valk hissed, "Or the children stay where they are!"

"Their message is simply this," Soval continued, "They wish to settle their families on a world which is safe. At present, Mars represents to them their best hope for a better life. That hope is threatened, however, by two major problems: Firstly, the Orion Drug Trade, which has lured many vulnerable people such as the Vulcanorions and Orion-Andorians into it, and which we must stop from obtaining a foothold on Mars. This particular extremist group is not interested in furthering the goals of the Orion Drug Trade, for it represents a direct threat to their people as well as ours. Stopping the Orion Drug Trade from securing a foothold on Mars is therefore a goal which we have in common with Valk and his group. Secondly, and most importantly for Valk and his group is to protest the creation of a so-called "Destroyer Gene" which is designed to implant a disease into the Orion population which will disable or abort all Hybrid Orion fetuses, if successful. While I understand that some among you may find this 'solution' appealing, it also has the potential to become a serious moral lapse on the part of any government which endorses its use. I speak to this issue not only because it is of concern to Valk and his group, but also because it needs to be weighed with serious consideration of its consequences. This 'Destroyer Gene' solution to the Orion-Hybrid infiltration is by now being considered by the Earth, Andorian and Vulcan governments. I urge extreme caution when considering this course of action..."

Soval noted that Valk was gesturing to him angrily, and he knew that he was expected to make a strong statement that would advocate closing the window on any opportunity to negatively affect the reproductive activities of the Orion-Hybrid people.

"From Valk's point of view, this course of action is completely unacceptable. We need to think very carefully about the individual rights of the Orion-Hybrid people and weigh it with the collective rights of the host populations. We need to remember that they are like any other group of people in desiring the right to reproduce. The vast majority of Orion-Hybrid people is not interested in working on behalf of the Orion government, but rather wishes citizenship on Mars and possibly Earth, when they have each proven themselves worthy of the responsibilities that this citizenship would endow upon them. It is this latter course of action that I would highly recommend to each of your governments. Marginalizing the Orion-Hybrid population through genetic manipulation will only exacerbate the problems, and it almost certainly will not solve them. Hybrid conception and birth will still occur. Embracing the Hybrids and providing them with opportunities to improve their lives, however, will ensure that they remain loyal to the host population rather than to the Orion Syndicate, which seeks only to use and enslave them. In spite of the malevolent intentions of Valk and his group, their cause is worthy of your deepest contemplation..."

"All right, Soval, that's enough," Valk ordered him gruffly, pointing a phaser pistol at his head, "Zallyn, cut off communications. Is that what you call a statement on our behalf, Soval? You were waffling, and your words were weak. In them, we all heard the possibility of permitting Sirtek's monstrous genocide against our people. We are not _"Hybrids"_! We are our own people, and I should have known better than to ask a diplomat to speak for us. You have not gone nearly far enough in your so-called 'statement' for me to justify releasing your children. I will permit the transmission to go through, but you have not fulfilled your end of the bargain..."

"Valk, do you want me to be a mindless echo, intent only on securing our own release from you, or do you want a real dialogue with these governments for your people?" Soval asked him, "I cannot demand that they make themselves vulnerable to people whom they fear will alter their populations' genetic make-up! As I have told you, you yourselves have already hastened the consideration of Sirtek's creation by taking hostages as opposed to opening up a rational dialogue..."

"Rationality will get us nowhere!" Valk raged, "Do you think that because I have Vulcan DNA that I will automatically be wooed by logic's false promises to our people? The only thing that will come of a dialogue with planetary governments is exactly what you have delivered in your words—empty promises of a new cooperation between our peoples."

Soval exchanged glances with Admiral Forrest. Perhaps the Admiral would fare better in delivering his statement. Soval knew that he had failed to win freedom for the two children in his address, but he knew also that his words to the governments had not been false. If they were liberated, he would continue to argue against marginalization on behalf of the Orion-Hybrids, for he had lived the consequences of the Vulcan government's failure in this area during his childhood in the Shir'Kaya district. The difficulty lay in convincing Valk of his resolve. Valk, it seemed, was too busy worrying about maintaining his status as Leader to think of the larger implications of his actions. Nonetheless, Soval knew that it was important that Valk retain his position within the group so that they had a chance of securing release for at least some of the hostages.

"Valk," Forrest said to their captor, "Soval is trained as a diplomat. I'm a Starfleet Admiral...give me a chance to make the statement, and I believe that I can be a little more blunt."

Valk was peering at Zallyn, as if expecting the big man to knife him in the back at any moment. Finally, he nodded, and the communication link was re-opened.

"Keep it short and to the point," Valk whispered, "no waffling."

Forrest nodded his agreement, and sat down.

"Valk," he whispered back, "no going back on your own promise. I want the kids out of here."

Valk gestured his own agreement, and Forrest began to speak.

"This is Admiral Maxwell Forrest. I am speaking on behalf of Valk and his group. I demand that you immediately outlaw the "Destroyer Gene" or I'll kick all your asses when I get out of here."

Soval looked at Forrest quizzically, but Valk obviously approved of the "message".

"Release the two children immediately," Valk ordered his men, "Have the injured one, Talcon, accompany them to safety."

"What are you doing, Valk?" Zallyn asked incredulously, "We must keep Sirtek-the-Destroyer's son! If you do this, we may as well release all of the hostages, and shoot ourselves!"

"Do not defy me, Zallyn!" Valk commanded him, pointing his phaser pistol at him, "or I will turn you into a hostage."

Valk opened a link to the warehouse where the hostages were being held.

"Kelsad!" he cried out, "Belay the order concerning Talcon. We will keep him. Tell the Vulcan doctor to treat his wounds so that he will not die. _You_ are to accompany the two youngest children to safety. Do not give either of them to the authorities, however, until two additional hostages have been given over to you. I am going to open a channel and demand that both the wives of Soval and Forrest be brought into our custody in exchange for the children."

"That was not the deal, Valk!" Forrest exclaimed, "You gave us your word..."

"I gave you my word that I would release the children," Valk shouted back, "It is now time for you to go back to your imprisonment."

A couple of Valk's burly men hustled the two hostages back to their prison, re-cuffing their feet and hands when they arrived. Soval noted that Kelsad was preparing the two children to leave. When Maxine saw her father return, however, she burst into tears.

"I'm not going to leave you, Daddy!" she cried, "Tell them to take Mark instead."

"Yes, Maxine, you are going to go," Forrest told his daughter sternly, "and that is an order, young lady. I will not tolerate any disobedience."

"You're not in a position to give orders, Daddy," Maxine replied, wiping her tears away, "You're all tied up! Mark, I want you to go. That's an order, Mister!"

"Maxine," Mark shouted angrily, "You get your sweet little ass out of here, _now!_ Ambassador Soval and Dad have been working their guts out to get you and Sethir freed. We don't have time for this—you want to help me and Dad and everybody else here? You have to leave, and you have to leave _now!_"

"Oh, shut up, Mark," Maxine cried, "You're not my boss."

"Maxine," Sethir whispered her, "if we go, there is a better chance of the others being freed. It is our only opportunity to help them!"

"Sethir's right, Honey," Forrest soothed his daughter, his tone soft now, "Go with Kelsad. He is the boyfriend of Jovan—Sethir's older sister. He'll bring you both to safety."

"You will be honorable enough to do at least that, Kelsad?" Dr. Fer'at asked the gun-toting _Vulcandorion, _"Do this for Jovan, if not for me and my son. She will never forgive you if you harm her younger brother."

"Of course I will honor my duty!" Kelsad retorted to the Vulcan psychiatrist, "I will deliver Sethir and Maxine to safety, but Jovan will never forgive me for what I have done to you, nonetheless. She will not understand that I am doing this for our child."

Fer'at looked at Kelsad in a manner which suggested that he would like to perform a violent act upon him.

"Fer'at!" Soval interjected, "Concentrate on Talcon's wounds. They will unbind you so that you can at least stop the bleeding. That is your task at present. Sethir, yours is to keep Maxine as calm as possible under the circumstances. You are Vulcan—and you are strong. Maxine, you must go...let the authorities deal with the rest."

"But Valk told his men that Mum and T'Nak have to come if we are released!" Maxine protested, "What kind of honor-to-duty is that, Kelsad? You'll have to put a gun to our heads in order to convince them to give over the two mothers."

"No," Kelsad answered gently, as he gestured to one of the men to untie Fer'at, Sethir, and Maxine, "We will all adhere to our promises, Maxine. The transfer will be peaceful, as your father and Ambassador Soval have both made statements in support of our aims. Now please—let us go before Valk changes his mind."

Maxine turned to leave reluctantly.

"I love you, Maxine," Forrest called to her, "You're doing the right thing. Have courage, Honey."

"I love you, Daddy...and you too, Mark. You both promise me that you're going to survive this."

"We promise," Forrest assured her, before Mark had a chance to say anything.

Kelsad then hustled the two children out of the building, and Fer'at turned his attention to Talcon's wounds.

"Do you possess any First Aid material in this building?" Fer'at asked one of the guards, who simply stared back at him blankly. Fer'at uttered an ancient Vulcan swear word under his breath, and took off his jacket, ripping it into bandage-sized pieces. He applied pressure on the wounds, wrapping them as well as he could.

"Can you untie Olivine Fossa's hands, at the very least, so that she can assist me?" Fer'at asked the guard, who reluctantly complied with the request.

"Don't try anything," the guard told Olivine in an onerous fashion.

Olivine shifted her still-bound feet over, and the rest of her body followed along after her hands had been untied. She held the make-shift bandage in place as Fer'at gestured to Sorral and went over to tear strips off of his jacket.

"I have no doubt that you will not miss this particular piece of formal attire, Sorral," Fer'at said to him, "When we are freed, you can replace it with your _'Earth Rocks' _music-shirt."

"You can strip me naked if you want, Doc—if it will help Talcon. He sure looks white as a ghost. I hope it's not too late for him."

"It will not be necessary for me to rip all of your clothing off, Sorral," Fer'at reassured him, "I only have one more wound to dress. It will work as a temporary measure, but we need medical supplies. I would have preferred to clean the wounds more efficiently before applying the dressings."

As Fer'at busied himself with the needs of his patient, Soval surveyed the remaining hostages. Sorral and Mark continued to remain calm, to his relief. Olivine Fossa, who had been very agitated about Talcon's condition, was now able to channel her anxious energies into aiding him as opposed to shouting at Th'Orran the hostage-taker-turned-prisoner. Th'Orran was silent right now, but Soval knew that he could use his talent for upsetting people at any moment, simply by using words to taunt them.

The two most recent hostages, Andorian Ambassador Ka'Jar Ch'Zhek and Minister Nathan Samuels, had kept quiet as the dramas raged on in front of them. Soval was grateful for this, as it had allowed himself and Forrest to take charge of the group rather than squabbling with the two politicians. Ka'Jar stared back at Soval.

"Yes, Soval, we have been behaving ourselves," the small Andorian told him, as if he knew what the Vulcan Ambassador was thinking, "and we do not wish to interfere with your leadership, or that of Forrest. However, there is only so much you can do when your feet and hands are tied and you are under armed guard. Now that the children are gone, I expect that we may begin to see some action from the joint Security Teams."

"Not until the kids have been safely handed over, Ambassador Ka'Jar," Forrest interjected, "and even then, they'll need to be careful. You and Minister Samuels are very high-level hostages..."

"And what about the rest of you, Admiral?" Ka'Jar interrupted gently, "Are your lives not worth just as much as ours? If we are not all 'high-level' hostages, then none of us are...and the building will need to be stormed immediately. These fools must not be allowed to hold power over us any longer, or it will undoubtedly go to their heads."

"I agree with you, Ambassador Ka'Jar," Samuels concurred, "This needs to stop, before these idiots take any more hostages."

As they were speaking, a familiar figure loomed eerily over them. Th'Orran, to their utmost shock, was now free of his shackles and holding a weapon. Beside him stood Zallyn, the other Vulcan-Andorian.

"My poor, dear compatriot Ka'Jar," Th'Orran greeted the Andorian Ambassador, "We can meet properly this time. I, the superior male, am now un-shackled, and you, the inferior one, are at last in chains before me. You can no longer use your governmental powers to push me around..."

"Th'Orran," Soval called, distracting him from his intended bully-target, "Where is Valk?"

"Valk?" Th'Orran threw back his head and laughed maniacally, "Oh, yes, Soval—Valk! Your very own Vulcan compatriot, whom you have been courting ever since you and your friends first arrived as our hostages. I'm afraid that your weak and sniveling little ally has just been killed...and I, Th'Orran, have now reclaimed my command. I have left word with Kelsad that there is to be no 'peaceful transfer' of the children, as it will undoubtedly end in Kelsad's capture and in your dear wives escaping scot-free. No, Kelsad will instead hold the young ones hostage—until such time as your wives, _in addition_ to the wives of both Fer'at and Sirtek—agree to enter into our custody."


	8. Chapter 8: Tenuous Alliances

16

_**The Vulcanorion Connection**_

_**Chapter Eight: Tenuous Alliances**_

When Kelsad returned, he held in his custody Mariel Woods and T'Nak. Th'Orran, however, was not pleased.

"I also want Sirtek's wife," he snarled at Kelsad, "and Fer'at's as well. These two will do, but I need more leverage for our cause."

"Th'Orran," Kelsad replied cautiously, "I very nearly was captured myself, while we were transferring the prisoners. The only reason that we got away was because I left the children behind and immediately escaped with the two women. They offered themselves willingly in exchange for the children, but I think it was intended to be a trap for us. Had I stayed behind to make a demand for the wives of Sirtek and Fer'at, I would have been under their custody right now, and you would not have even the wives of Soval and Forrest."

Th'Orran stared at Kelsad for a moment before grabbing him by the throat.

"I do not tolerate partial success!" he yelled, "I want the wife of every male that we have under our custody!"

"Th'Orran," Zallyn, the big _Vulcandorion_ who had freed the leader, said to him quietly, "We must not be too reckless. Sirtek would rather let his son and all the others die than give us his wife. She is no doubt being heavily guarded; she is unobtainable for us, and we need to let go of that demand. You are being irrational in what you ask."

"Unobtainable, Zallyn? Then I must have her! As for me being irrational, I would hate to think that you were being influenced by your Vulcan rather than your Andorian heritage...remember what happened to Valk."

"I have _not _forgotten him," Zallyn snarled ominously, "And I have not forgiven you for killing him, either."

"In that, my friend, you are as culpable as I," Th'Orran told him, "For you are the one who freed me...and if you betray our cause as he did with his weak-kneed rationality, then you will be joining him."

Th'Orran walked about, surveying all the hostages as he went. Soval could see that he gloried in creating anxiety for the people he had captured; all of them were wondering whether they would be the next to be singled out and possibly killed or tortured. Th'Orran finally stopped in front of the Andorian Ambassador, Ka'Jar Ch'Zhek.

"Ka'Jar Ch'Zhek," he uttered the diplomat's name slowly and deliberately, "I believe there is one with a name very similar to yours—and he is Chief of Security for the Andorian Special Forces...Ka'Shel Th'Zhek...is he not your Than Male-Mate?"

"Yes," Ka'Jar answered with barely suppressed anger in his voice, "But you will not be taking him hostage, Th'Orran. He will have arrived on Mars by now, and his orders will be to kill you when he finds you. You will not be bullying him as you bullied the young Vulcan."

"Or...maybe I will kill him, did you ever consider that, Lesser One? I would very much like to get back at both of you for your own acts of governmental oppression...such as throwing me and the poor youths under my care into prison for petty crimes. You hypocrite, Ka'Jar—you dare to accuse me of bullying, you with your so-called 'Campaign to Protect Families'—Upper-Class Families, that is. You should be ashamed of yourself, after everything you have done as a high-powered politician to criminalize the poor on Andoria. Now that you have been taken out of your protected diplomatic world, however, you are quite vulnerable to me. Do you think that your dear Ka'Shel will be so eager to kill me while I hold your life in my hands?"

"Ka'Shel will not let that stop him," Ka'Jar defended his mate, "His first duty is to Andoria, and you have made yourself the enemy of Andoria by capturing its representative."

Th'Orran chuckled, kneeling down and pressing a phaser pistol against Ka'Jar's temple. He then slowly transferred it to Minister Samuel's head. Soval saw Forrest attempting unsuccessfully to break out of his shackles so that he could aid the Minister. His attempts were futile, but because he was Human, Soval realized that he needed to try.

"And what about your dear wife, Minister?" Th'Orran asked Samuels, oblivious to Forrest and the rest of the hostages, "I would so very much like to meet her...as you make plans to meet with Sirtek-the-Destroyer to implement your nefarious plans against Orion infants. Is this the famous Human compassion that I have heard so much about?"

Samuels stared at Th'Orran in silent terror, but said nothing.

"It is enough, Th'Orran!" Zallyn cried in exasperation as he approached the Andorian, "We do not want to kill these ones...they are high-level hostages. Stop these games immediately!"

Th'Orran turned to face Zallyn, sneering at him in disgust. The two men at last left the warehouse, arguing as they went. Samuels and Ka'Jar sighed in relief, looking at each other and shaking their heads in disbelief.

After the Leaders had closed the doors to the warehouse, Kelsad brought T'Nak over to the group of hostages. He deposited her beside Soval, shackling her feet as soon as she was down. He then brought Mariel over to Forrest and laid her down gently before also shackling her feet.

"You're awfully sweet for a hostage-taker, Honey," Mariel told Kelsad, as Forrest shot her a warning glance.

"It is all right, Admiral," Kelsad told him, "I am not like Th'Orran. You may not believe it, but I do not enjoy mistreating people."

"Well, Kelsad," Forrest said to him, "You may not enjoy it, but the fact remains that you _are _mistreating us. There's nothing worse that you can do to us than to threaten our families as you have been doing."

"I am truly sorry," Kelsad whispered, "This was not what I wanted...not at all. I only wanted to make a strong statement for the future of my own child."

"You won't secure your own child's future by threatening the futures of ours," Forrest told him, his voice soft but the anger in his tone evident.

"What can I do?" Kelsad asked in despair, "I cannot go back now. I have done what I have done, whether it was right or wrong. I fear that this will end badly, and that I will never see my child grow up."

"It's not too late, Kelsey," Mariel said to him, "There's still time to choose differently."

Kelsad shook his head sadly, and rose to leave them.

"You're a coward, Kelsad," Mark called after him, but Kelsad did not turn around to defend himself.

"Why are you calling him 'Kelsey' and 'Honey', Mum?" Mark asked irritably, "He's a criminal who aids and abets torturers and murderers! Don't get all 'sweety-pie' and mothery over him—it won't get us out of this mess."

"Hi, Mark—I love you too," Mariel replied, looking into her son's eyes fondly, "I call him 'Honey' and 'Kelsey' because it helps me to deal with this whole thing better if I see him as a lost kid rather than as an aider and abettor of torturers and murderers. I know you guys are mad at me for coming here, but T'Nak and I just couldn't sit around while our families were in danger. We had to do _something."_

"What about Maxine and Sethir?" Forrest asked urgently, "Did the authorities pick them up?"

"We had to leave them in the capable hands of Tomm the Android," Mariel told them, "Tomm was our bodyguard, since the Marsies had re-programmed him for the wrong job by mistake."

"What?" cried Forrest, "Not the same Tomm-1000 that dropped the dessert all over us?"

"I told you, he was re-programmed," Mariel answered, "He's much better now. I knew it would be hard to convince Maxine to let me go, so I distracted her with Tomm. After Kelsad put us in his ground-car, I heard Tomm's alarm go off. That alarm will have brought the Security teams over to the kids in no time. I set Tomm up to beep me when the Security Team had arrived to pick up the kids, and that beep went off just as Kelsad drove in here. It's okay, guys—the kids are safe now."

"That's a relief," Forrest said, "But now Maxine is really going to stress—she's out, but we're all in here. That's going to be torture for her, and it's why I wanted you and T'Nak to keep the hell away from this situation. Who's going to comfort Maxine now...the Tomm-1000 unit?"

"No," T'Nak called over to the Forrests, "Fer'at's wife, T'Lan, is going to take charge of the children. She is an excellent psychiatrist, and she will know how to deal with Maxine. Childhood trauma is her specialty."

"Childhood trauma..." Forrest murmured, "I'm sorry, Mariel. I've failed to protect this family, and I'm angry at myself, not you. I never should have brought the kids along—I underestimated the dangers involved."

"Oh, stop it, Max," Mariel chided her husband, "Who could have predicted that these idiots were going to kidnap a bunch of kids and parents on a tour? I don't want to hear one more word of self-blame out of your mouth."

As Soval listened to Mariel's reassuring words to her husband, he could not help but look into his own wife's eyes. He feared that he would see anger and accusation in them—that she would blame him for this foolish mess into which they had all fallen. Instead, however, she was peering into his eyes with what appeared to be concern for his welfare. He turned to look at Sorral, who had fallen fast asleep, and who had missed the entry of his mother and Mariel into the kidnappers' lair. Up until now, Sorral had conducted himself calmly and with great restraint. He feared that would change, though, now that his mother was here. Soval had felt his son's anxiety and despair whenever the topic of T'Nak and Mariel entering into the hostage situation had arisen. He had hoped that this eventuality would not come to pass, for he knew that Sorral was very close to and extremely protective of, his mother.

As he thought about his son, the young man stirred. It was as if he knew that his parents were worrying about him. He sat up slowly, and when he saw his mother, his expression turned to one of horror.

"Mum!" He cried, "No! Don't tell me they've taken you, too?"

"Sorral," T'Nak soothed him, "Quiet! We don't want to attract their attention. I'm fine, and the two kids are free. You and Mark are the ones we want out next, and I'm going to make sure that happens—even if I have to seduce that ogre, Th'Orran, to get it done."

"Mum—No! No, please! Don't let that wicked moron near you. I know you never listen to Dad's logic, but just this once, Mum, listen to him! Dad—you tell her."

"T'Nak," Soval began cautiously, "You know that seducing Th'Orran is fraught with peril, and most probably will only succeed in getting us all killed. I ask you...no, rather I _demand _that you behave sensibly. Your arrival here is a boon to the kidnappers, and it has only served to heighten their arrogance."

"And that arrogance will be their downfall, Soval," T'Nak whispered to him, "Why do you think Th'Orran wants the consorts of all the males here? He wants to demonstrate his power over you by making conquests of your mates. You know that I possess the necessary passion to win him over. I can distract him, perhaps even cause fights amongst himself and his men..."

"It will not work, T'Nak!" Soval whispered back fiercely, "I forbid you even to make an attempt. You were not here to see what they did to the young man, Talcon, who is over there recovering from his ordeal. He was bruised and bloody when they finished with him, and Th'Orran was relentlessly cruel to him. He will do the same to you, because I was a soldier at the disputed colony Paan Mokar a century ago. His grandfather was killed by Vulcans, and he has a singular hatred for us because of it...he has already killed the Vulcan leader, Valk, and he will not hesitate to do the same to any one of us. You saw his little demonstration of power earlier with Ambassador Ka'Jar and Minister Samuels. "

"Listen to me, Logic-Master of the Universe," she told him, "I understand these people. They come from a background of poverty and desperation. Back on Vulcan, I was a Shir'Kaya, too...and I was not one of those who improved my standing in our society. After I entered the Military and was posted to Andoria, I felt more at home living on that frozen moon than I ever did on Vulcan. I was serving on Andoria when I met you, and before I tied myself to you I had many opportunities to learn from these Andorians. They are, like me, people of passion. They speak the language of emotion. If I gain their trust, I might be able to turn emotion to our advantage for a change!"

"They will trust no one, especially not a Vulcan," Soval argued, "I implore you, T'Nak, do not endanger us all with reckless behavior! We will not survive it."

"This is not the time for cowardice, old man!" T'Nak hissed at him, "It is the time for bold action!"

"'Bold action', as you call it, is not informed by stupidity!" Soval exclaimed, louder than he had intended.

Kelsad looked in their direction, and before long he walked over to the Vulcan couple to determine whether or not they were becoming troublesome.

"Both of you need to watch your mouths," he said to them softly, "I have told you. Th'Orran bugs this place, and he has very sensitive ears."

"You seem to care about us, Dear One," T'Nak purred seductively to Kelsad, "You should let me thank you for that."

"T'Nak!" Soval cried in frustration. The situation was becoming more dangerous by the minute.

"It will not work, T'Nak," Kelsad told her bluntly, and, to Soval's immense relief, he walked away.

"That one could be our ally," T'Nak murmured to her husband; but after having had the last word on the matter, she then thankfully grew quiet. Soval could feel his son Sorral's anxiety soaring, and so he decided to put his energy into sending him meditations of peace and tranquility.

There was for a period of time silence, as each of the hostages contemplated their conditions. There was little that they could do but wait, and Soval knew that they were all feeling powerless. It was this feeling of powerlessness that had driven T'Nak and Mariel to offer themselves in the place of their children, and which was fueling T'Nak's reckless plans of seducing Th'Orran. He felt fear for his wife's and his son's safety bubbling to the surface, and he quickly suppressed the feeling through meditative techniques. He must not allow fear to lead the way...and yet, some fear was healthy, for it warned one away from rash behavior.

"Ambassador," Fer'at was calling to him, jostling him out of his thoughts, "are you well?"

"Am I well?" he reiterated, "My family members are being held hostage, Fer'at, just as your son has been. I am as well as I can be under the circumstances."

"I have noticed that you have been retreating into your meditative state frequently," Fer'at told him, "and so I needed to determine whether you were still here with us."

"Of course I am here with you!" Soval exploded, "I am meditating, not going into a trance. You should know the difference, Fer'at; and perhaps you should be meditating yourself, instead of interrupting mine."

"I have tried to meditate, but I find myself concerned over the fact that Th'Orran wishes my own wife to offer herself up to him. Sethir is free now, and so it does not make sense that I am anxious...and yet, I am. I have noticed that we all are displaying signs of extreme stress and tension. We are afraid not of what will happen to ourselves, but what will happen to those we care deeply about. We wish to sacrifice ourselves for their safety, but we are not doing so in a rational fashion. I believe it is because we are feeling powerless in this situation."

"My gratitude, Fer'at, for your astute observations of our psychological health," Soval replied wearily, "But my own advice to you is to notice less and meditate more."

"Dr. Fer'at is right, Dad," Sorral interjected, "That's why Mum has this crazy plan about seducing Th'Orran..."

Suddenly, the doors crashed open and Th'Orran strode menacingly towards Soval and his family.

"So...the wife of Soval is not satisfied with her husband...she wishes to know a real warrior!" He crowed lasciviously.

"Don't you touch my mother, you son of a sehlat!" Sorral growled, with more venomous anger than Soval had ever heard him speak.

"Sorry, dear Vulcan-who-wishes-he-were-Human," Th'Orran taunted the boy, "But T'Nak has made it very clear that she wishes to seduce me, in spite of her husband's protests to the contrary. Perhaps the Great Soval fears that his wife will prefer the passionate virility of Andorian males to the sterile logic that the Vulcan male offers her. How dull Vulcan males must be for their wives! I just heard the fear in Dr. Fer'at's voice when he spoke of the possibility of his dear wife, T'Lan, visiting us. Fear in a Vulcan is a beautiful thing, is it not? Unfortunately, Zallyn has convinced me that neither T'Lan nor Sirtek's wife will be joining us, and therefore they will not get to experience the incredible Passion of Andoria. That particular honor has been reserved for you, T'Nak, because you are worthy of my affection."

"I'm ready, Dear Andorian," T'Nak said to him calmly, "You may take me at your leisure...but I may require something from you in return."

Th'Orran pulled her to her feet roughly. "You are not in a position to bargain," he told her, unshackling her feet. He then pushed her out the doors of the warehouse.

"Mum!" Sorral screamed, "Dad! We've got to do something! We can't leave her with that...animal!"

"Sorral," he replied, "The best way to help your mother is to remain calm. She is doing this because she thinks it will end in your being freed, and possibly Mark as well. We do not need two rash and reckless people endangering our lives! Now, concentrate, my son! I will lead you in a technique which will lessen your anxiety."

"I don't want to have my anxiety lessened, Dad, I want us to get Mum out of this mess!"

"Sorral!" Mark Forrest called over to him, "Come on, man, we're in this together. Your Mum is smarter than you and your Dad are giving her credit for. She might be able to convince him to at least let you go."

"I'm _not _going anywhere without all of you!" Sorral cried out in frustration, "This is an insane situation—even if I were to be freed, I still would not be free as long as you guys were in here suffering through this. My body would be free, but my mind would not."

"That's why you need to let your Dad teach you about the mental disciplines, Sorral," Mark retorted, "There are going to be plenty of tough situations like this one in our line of work. You need to learn how to keep your emotions in check so that you don't lose your cool and blow it for everyone involved..."

"Keeping our emotions in check does nothing to solve this, Mark Forrest!" Talcon cried. He was now in a sitting position and slightly recovered from his loss of blood, with the help of Olivine and the makeshift bandages.

"Why do you revere Vulcans so greatly?" Talcon continued, directing his question towards the startled Mark, "Sorral may be the Vulcan-who-would-be-Human, but you are the Human-who-would-be-Vulcan. We are not what you think, Round-Ear! My father has always been relentless in his insistence that I capture and suppress each and every emotion that passes through me, and I have attempted to do so all my life. But where has it gotten me? I still failed to repress my fear before Th'Orran; and if we do obtain our freedom, I will no longer be a welcome member of my family. If Th'Orran sent the recording of my 'groveling' as he called it, then I am disgraced. I will cease to be a Vulcan. So what has all my training been for? It has _not _helped me to deal well with this situation...perhaps if I had been able to access my emotions, we would not be in this situation to begin with. Perhaps my forbidden feelings would have spurred me to fight harder to prevent this travesty of justice, instead of losing my footing on the bus and being slammed against the window like a fool. I allowed them on board the bus, and they took our power away from us. How did the Path of Logic help us? It did not, because the rest of the Universe does not arrange itself for us in perfect, logical little patterns. We have become so programmed that we believe that Life should obey our dictates. I have, through this ordeal, come to the conclusion that Th'Orran is correct in one of his assertions to me: we Vulcans _are_ very arrogant and prideful. We try to repress it, but many of us believe ourselves to be superior to other life forms. I now know that I have been raised to believe in a joke. We are nothing but a joke...and a poor, laugh-less joke at that."

Soval listened to the young Vulcan's despair, and he could not fault him for it, after what he had been through. It would be a long climb to recovery for Talcon, and he doubted that his father Sirtek would offer much support. If they did manage to extricate themselves from the grasp of these criminals, he committed himself to finding a way to help Talcon regain his lost dignity.

"Talcon," Mark was arguing with him, "Remember what Ambassador Soval said to you earlier. Don't waste your energy on self-recrimination! I know Vulcans aren't perfect, just like Humans aren't; but I respect your people anyways, because they work so hard to maintain their equilibrium, their balance. I've been very mentally and emotionally unbalanced since my adolescence, and it's been Vulcan meditation techniques that have helped me to regain control over my life. Come on, you guys, at least try! It can't hurt...we're in this situation anyways, whether we wanted to be or not. Ambassador Soval, could you lead us in a meditation—one that would help Humans and Andorians as well as Vulcans? We really need some of your strength right now."

Soval closed his eyes, and instructed the others to do so as well. With his words, he brought them all to a place in their minds that was in tune with the Heart-beat of the Universe. It was from that place that they were led to view their situation from a larger perspective. A calmness descended upon those in the warehouse, as they each came into contact with their peace within.

When they all re-opened their eyes after the guided meditation, it seemed to Soval that even the guards had been affected by the experience, in spite of the fact that they had not actively participated in it. Soval knew that the mental powers of a group were more effective than those of a lone individual. Mark Forrest had done well by coaxing the young people to enter into the time of quiet reflection. He believed it had helped all of them to at least accept the situation as it was, without engaging in futile imaginings of what might have been had they behaved differently.

They remained quiet for the next few hours, and Soval realized that they had lost track of time since they had first been captured. He surmised that they had been here for at least a few days, but it could have been longer for all he knew. How long would they have to remain here before some attempt was made to free them? Soval knew that it was a delicate situation, and that the safety of the young people and the two "high-level" hostages, Ka'Jar and Samuels, needed to be taken into consideration. He supposed that he himself qualified as a "high-level" hostage, as did Forrest because of his rank. In the end, however, they could not keep playing games with these criminals. The kidnappers needed to be either killed or arrested, whichever happened first; and that might mean having to sacrifice themselves for the needs of the many. He was not particularly worried for himself, for he knew that he had led a long and fruitful life. The young people, however, still had their lives ahead of them, and he hoped fervently that they would be spared any pain or harm. He thought of T'Nak under the authority of that barbarian, Th'Orran, and he felt a rage curdling within himself. With one mighty effort, he smothered that feeling before it had a chance to grab hold of his being. He needed to keep himself absolutely calm in this situation in order to keep Sorral as relaxed as was possible under the circumstances. He did wonder, however, what was taking place between his wife and the angry Andorian.

As if in answer, the doors to the warehouse were flung open once again. T'Nak entered, accompanied by the _Vulcandorion_, Zallyn. To Soval's shock, T'Nak was armed with a phaser pistol.

"There has been another change of leadership!" she announced proudly, "Th'Orran has been incapacitated. Zallyn is now in charge. Aren't you, my Dear One?"

"Yes," he concurred, "And, as a reward for her having 'incapacitated' Th'Orran, I have agreed to make T'Nak our ally in the cause."

"What?" Soval exclaimed in dismay, "You do not mean to tell us that you have joined with these...thugs, my wife?"

"Oh, yes, my husband, I have," T'Nak replied with a mischievous glint in her eyes, "As it turned out, Th'Orran was not quite as...virile...as he thought he was. I gave him the Vulcan nerve pinch which you taught me many years ago on Andoria, when we first met. Th'Orran has been re-shackled and taken out of the mission once more. I have convinced Zallyn to take charge; and, I made a deal with him."

"What sort of deal?" Soval asked suspiciously.

"Zallyn knows now that we are very close to being stormed by the authorities. I convinced him that I could be their spokesperson, as I understand that the statements that you and Max made did not go far enough. I have made a very, very, strong statement in support of the goals of these people...I believe in what they are standing for, if not the way they did it. Besides, these poor fools are severely disorganized, and they are in desperate need of having some females to help them organize."

"Mum!" Sorral cried, "If they storm this building, they'll arrest you if they see you with that gun in your hands!"

"Sorral," T'Nak said soothingly to him, "I have asked the authorities to hold off until we have set you and Mark free as a gesture of goodwill. I have convinced my dear Zallyn to do this favor for me; although in convincing him, I may have inadvertently given you a part-Andorian sibling."

Sorral was silent, and his face wore a look of frozen horror.

"T'Nak," Soval replied to her quietly, "I think we would have preferred Th'Orran to this."

"Th'Orran's only interest was in getting back at politicians and Vulcans, Soval...especially you," Zallyn explained, "and now he has done that by taking up with your wife. T'Nak may have ensured that his role in this has finished; but do not think for a moment that because we have recruited T'Nak and Jovan to our cause that we have gone soft..."

"What do you mean, you have recruited Jovan?" Fer'at queried, his voice tense.

Zallyn gestured towards the doors, and Jovan entered, holding a phaser pistol.

"I am sorry, my Honored Father," she told him, "But I've made a decision to join my mate, Kelsad. His cause is mine also, although I was never told about his original plans to kidnap my own family members and their colleagues. Had I known, I never would have agreed to it...but now that he has gone and done it, I feel I have no choice but to support the father of my child."

"Jovan!" Kelsad exclaimed, "I did not tell you what I was planning to do because I wanted to keep you and the developing infant safe. Please, Zallyn...my mate is pregnant, and she should not be here."

"Jovan will accompany the young people out, and will then be arrested by the authorities for joining us," Zallyn explained, "It is unlikely that she will be hurt in the transfer process, as she does not intend to fight them. But the arrest of the daughter of a respected Vulcan psychiatrist will help to draw attention to our cause...as will the arrest of the wife of the Vulcan Ambassador to Earth. Did you not ask us, Soval, why we had no Orion females amongst us? Th'Orran thought that they would be too distracting for us, but we have now corrected that particular oversight. Both women have agreed to speak for us in no uncertain terms, as our cause is also theirs, as mothers of Hybrid children. I do not know if T'Nak ever told you this, Soval, but she too is of Orion heritage. Her family kept this a secret from you when the marriage was being arranged...I know this, because I was her lover before you married her. She, like Jovan, is willing to sacrifice her freedom for our people."

"No!" Sorral called out, "Mum—don't do this! Please...if what Zallyn says is true, that means that I'm an Orion Hybrid too. I've got some say in this, don't I? And I don't want you giving up your freedom to talk for these guys! Your cause is for kids like me, Jovan, and her baby. We don't want you to promote kidnappings in our name—not when protests can be done peacefully, by staging demonstrations and calling on people to outlaw this 'Destroyer Gene' thing! I mean—come on, Mum, you value your freedom too much to throw away your life on some meaningless sacrifice for a bunch of bozos who can't organize themselves long enough to agree on a leader!"

"I agree with Sorral," Kelsad concurred, "Jovan, I forbid you to take part in this. You may accompany Sorral and Mark, but do not take a gun with you. Although it is too late for me, there is still time for you to avoid being arrested. You must remain a free woman for our child!"

Jovan walked over to Kelsad and ran her palm over his face tenderly.

"It's a little late for you to change your position, my Cherished One," she murmured, "and I have given my word that I would make a statement on behalf of your cause."

"Jovan!" Fer'at cried, "You would join people who kidnapped your younger brother and held him captive...not to mention your own father?"

"As I've told you, Father, that part of it was not my choice," Jovan responded, "And of course I did not want my family harmed. That is why I am here now; but Kelsad is also my family. He is my mate, and the father of my child. I am truly sorry if you view this as a betrayal of you...I will always be grateful to you for the love and care that you and T'Lan have both given me."

"You have been brainwashed by that _sehlat,_" Fer'at growled, "and if we are freed from this trap I will get you some help, Jovan..."

"I do not require further 'reintegration' into Vulcan society, Father," she told him sadly, "but I want you to know that my gratitude to you is forever."

"Jovan," Forrest called to her, "If your job is to accompany Sorral and Mark to safety, then I suggest you save your gratitude for later and get going. We want to get as many young people out as possible."

"Let Talcon go instead of me, Dad," Mark offered, "He's injured."

"Mark, we don't have time for this!" Forrest told him firmly, "Now get them out of here, Jovan! If Zallyn will let you take Talcon and Olivine, that would be even better. If not, then I want you guys out of here...right now."

"I will stay," Talcon said, "Until the situation has been resolved. I must not leave before Minister Samuels and Ambassadors Soval and Ka'Jar have been rescued. But I ask you to take Olivine, Jovan."

Olivine was about to open her mouth to protest, when suddenly an unpleasantly familiar voice shouted out, "No one's going anywhere!"

Th'Orran entered the building, followed by two of his men. He was holding in his hands an old-fashioned bullet-gun.

"A good thing I hid this ancient weapon away as a last resort. Did you really think that you were going to get away with this, Zallyn?" he yelled angrily, as he fired at the Vulcandorian, bringing him down in one shot, "I don't like traitors! And the next one to go, unfortunately, is T'Nak's son Sorral..."

Th'Orran pointed his pistol at Sorral, but as he took his shot, T'Nak threw herself in front of her son, firing the phaser pistol at Th'Orran. The bullet lodged itself in T'Nak's stomach, and she fell, just as Th'Orran did. The pistol, however, had only been set at 'stun', and it had not been enough to completely subdue Th'Orran. He jumped up, reaching over to retrieve his gun once more.

Sorral was screaming in pain and terror at the sight of his injured mother down on the floor in front of him.

"Sorral!" Soval cried, attempting to move his shackled body closer to him and T'Nak. The next events happened very quickly, almost as if in a dream.

Kelsad shouted into his wrist-band, "Now!" and shot Th'Orran with his phaser before he could reach the gun. Jovan neatly dispatched one of Th'Orran's loyalists as he charged at her, and a large Andorian wearing the uniform of a Security Officer burst into the room and shot the other "loyalist", who was engaged in plunging a knife into Sorral's arm. At that point, all hell broke loose. A troop of Security officers, Human, Vulcan, and Andorian, suddenly descended upon the warehouse, and a storm of phaser shots broke out between the remaining kidnappers and the officers. After several of the Hostage-Takers had been killed, the Human security team immediately arrested the surviving gang members as they dropped their weapons in surrender.

Once the arrests had been made, the Vulcan security team members began unshackling the hostages. When they came to Soval, he gestured immediately to his son Sorral and his unconscious wife T'Nak.

"Tend to them first," he ordered the officers, "They require emergency medical care."

Fer'at, who had just been unshackled, came over and began treating T'Nak with the Security Team's First Aid material, while Mariel Woods and Admiral Forrest rushed over in order to help stop Sorral's bleeding. Sorral was trying to reach out to his mother.

"It's okay, Sorral," Mariel soothed him, "Your Mum's still alive, and she's going to go to the hospital. So are you, as soon as the authorities can get a lock on your signal. That oaf, Th'Orran, was jamming the signals so that the Security officers couldn't beam any of the hostages out."

Soval held Sorral's hand, calming him gently until the boy, his mother, and Fer'at had all been beamed out to the safety of the Martia City Hospital.


	9. Chapter 9: Sirtek's Solution

23

_**The Vulcanorion Connection**_

_**Chapter Nine: Sirtek's Solution **_

Soval sat beside his wife, holding her hand as she slept in her bed at the Martia City Hospital. His son Sorral was by his side, his arm bandaged and in a sling. Sorral's wound was now on the mend, as the Andorian who had tried to stab him had been stopped before he could do any fatal damage. T'Nak's wounds, however, were going to take longer to heal. The medical team had been successful in removing the bullet from her abdomen, but at least two of her intra-abdominal organs had been affected. The team had managed to stop the bleeding, but there had been substantial loss of blood. She was at present being given intravenous nutrition in order to keep her strong.

A doctor entered the room as the father and son sat quietly with T'Nak. She checked her vital signs on the monitor before addressing Soval.

"Ambassador," she informed him, "We have been performing some tests, and it has come to our attention that your wife is pregnant. The fetus is only a few days old, and it so far has not miscarried due to the injury and trauma that its mother's body has sustained. We need to consider the fact that it may continue to grow as a viable fetus. Because of her condition, it may be a very complicated pregnancy. What are your thoughts on this matter?"

Soval took a deep breath and closed his eyes. The fear and rage in the back of his mind re-established themselves once more, and he fought to keep the emotions down.

"My mother is a Shir'Kaya Vulcan," Sorral told the Doctor, as his father struggled to compose himself, "She believes that all life is sacred. If she's pregnant, she will probably want to go through with it—will that be dangerous? I mean, is there any chance that the wounds will be healed enough by then? Vulcan pregnancies last slightly longer than Human ones."

"The pregnancy will need to be very closely monitored," the Doctor replied, "As I've said, the injuries that she's received will complicate matters considerably. This is not a good way to begin for any emerging life form. I would recommend that she be placed at the Maternity Hospital here on Mars for an extended stay. She will need plenty of bed-rest, and the fetus can then be properly monitored. Ambassador—do you agree with me on this course of recovery on behalf of your wife and child?"

"The child is most certainly not mine," Soval informed her gruffly, "My wife was...obliged to enter into dubious relations with one or more of the Hostage-Takers who recently kidnapped us all. If the fetus survives, it is likely to be a multiple-species Vulcan-Andorian-Orion Hybrid."

The Doctor stared silently at Soval, as if dumbfounded by what he had told her.

"I see," she responded finally, "Well—that will complicate matters even further. I would highly recommend that your resident psychiatrists, Fer'at and T'Lan, be involved in the process of recovery. We have psychiatrists here at the Hospital, but they are trained to treat the psyches of Humans, not Vulcans. I imagine there will need to be a process of psychological healing for the whole family, and that will best be accomplished by Vulcan Doctors. I would be happy to introduce Fer'at and T'Lan to our psychiatric team, so that we could coordinate the care for your wife in a cooperative manner."

"I am sure that Fer'at and T'Lan would be more than willing to cooperate with your people, Doctor," Soval replied wearily, "Now if you will excuse us, I would like some time alone with my family."

"Yes, of course, Ambassador," the Doctor answered politely, "Please do not hesitate to call for our staff should you require any assistance."

As the Doctor exited the room, Soval buried his head in his hands. Sorral put his hand on his father's shoulder awkwardly, unsure as to how to support him.

"My Honored Father," he finally said, "Are you...are you okay?"

"Why do Earth people always ask that?" Soval replied, "I have recently discovered that your mother is pregnant with the child of one of our hostage-takers. How 'okay' do you expect me to be, Sorral?"

"I don't, Dad...I just...I wanted to comfort you somehow. I know it's kind of too 'Human' of me. I'm sorry! I...I hope it was Zallyn who was the father, and not Th'Orran."

"It really does not matter, Sorral. The injury has been inflicted upon all of us. We must not allow our emotions to control us, however. There is much work to be done in order to mitigate the damage caused by the kidnappers' actions. Your mother will need to remain at the Martian Hospital for some time, as she cannot be transferred to Earth in her present state. I will need to meet with Starfleet and other officials to discuss this entire travesty. There will, unfortunately, be a need for increased security, and it will be in the best interests of Vulcan, Mars, Earth, and Andoria that we coordinate our efforts in order to stem the tide of this approaching storm. Sorral, I must ask you to stay here with your mother, and to support her like the mature adult that I know you can be. She has sacrificed herself for your welfare many times over, and she has done this because she has a very deep love for you."

"I know, Dad," Sorral murmured, "I only wish it could have been me that got shot in the stomach, and not her."

"Sorral," Soval warned his son, "I caution you against these futile imaginings of what might have been. They have no redemptive value, and are therefore in need of purging. Practice the meditations that I have taught you. This hospital is very well-equipped, and it has many meditation areas where you can go to soothe your spirit. I have arranged for you and Talcon to share a room in the Family Complex of the Hospital. Talcon's wounds have been treated, and he is now ready to serve as your bodyguard."

"Bodyguard?" Sorral exclaimed, "Dad, I don't need a bodyguard! At least—not Talcon! I mean, I'm glad that he came out of this ordeal alive, but I don't want to share a room with the guy! He'll drive me nuts, telling me that everything I say or do is wrong, and that I'm too 'Human'..."

"I think you will find, my son, that Talcon's attitude has changed a great deal since our ordeal," Soval countered, "And he is as much in need of your support as you are of his. Sirtek, his father, has shunned him as a result of his submission to Th'Orran's dictates while he was under threat of torture and possibly death. Talcon's mother has refused to go along with this, and so he has at least half of his family to defend him. Unfortunately, when the news of Talcon's 'groveling' to Th'Orran and his supposed relationship with Olivine Fossa reached the ears of his wife's family back on Vulcan, they requested that the marriage bond between Talcon and his wife be dissolved."

"But...that was just Th'Orran's take on it!" Sorral protested, "I mean...Talcon and Olivine knew each other since they were kids—it doesn't necessarily mean that because they cared about each other's welfare that they were romantically involved!"

"Sorral, you cannot expect rational behavior when personal family matters are involved—even from Vulcans," Soval explained, "I suppose I ought to warn you that the news of your mother's once-secretive Orion DNA has also reached the family of _your _new wife, Vanal. They have already requested that the marriage between you and her be dissolved immediately."

"Hey, that's the best news I've heard yet," Sorral replied, "Sure—let's dissolve it. I don't think Vanal and I exchanged ten words the whole time we were living together during that 'marital year' of ours. We were both miserable!"

"Very well. We will then proceed with the dissolution, once the larger issues have at least been partially resolved. I must leave soon, Sorral, to meet with Forrest and the others."

"Okay, Dad," Sorral agreed, "I'll surrender to the idea of Talcon being my bodyguard—and I'll be his Spirit-Guard and try to help him as much as I can. It seems as if we're both in the same boat now."

"My gratitude, Sorral. Your cooperation in this matter relieves me of many concerns."

As Soval turned to exit the room, Sorral called out to him.

"Hey Dad...you still...I mean, nothing has changed between you and me because I have some of this Orion DNA in me?"

"Nothing has changed between us, Sorral," Soval reassured him gently, "You will always be my Cherished Son."

Sorral nodded, his expression one of relief. Soval finally left the room, as much as he wanted to stay with his wife and son in order to support them in the aftermath of their ordeal. He knew, however, that he needed to go to the briefing this afternoon, and he would have to travel to MarTerra Space Station in order to attend. As he left the hospital on the MagLev Train, he reviewed the past few days in his mind.

After they had been rescued by the Human/Vulcan/Andorian joint Security Forces, the former hostages had retreated for a few days to spend time with their families. Maxine and Sethir had been reunited with their families, and Fer'at's wife T'Lan had been working extensively with both children to help each of them to deal with their respective traumas. Mariel Woods was working in conjunction with Dr. T'Lan, as she was a psychologist herself and knew what needed to be done for her family in order to heal their inner wounds. Mark Forrest had since resumed his position as Student Envoy to Mars, and he was to attend today's briefing with his father Max. Soval had not had an opportunity to discuss anything with Admiral Forrest, but he presumed that the Admiral would be sufficiently recovered from his earlier stress and ready for duty.

By the time Soval reached the MarTerra Station and disembarked from his shuttle, Forrest was in his uniform and waiting for him in the Arrivals area.

"Ambassador," he greeted the diplomat, his brow furrowed with concern, "How is your wife?"

"She is resting," Soval informed him, "I believe that she will recover, but she will need to spend a certain amount of time at the Martia City Hospital before she can even think of going home. She will not like it, but we all do what must be done. We have been cooperating with the Human Security officers who have been guarding her at the Hospital."

"Considering all that T'Nak did to help free the hostages, I think any charges against her for briefly aligning with them will be dropped," Forrest replied, "and the same applies to Jovan as well. We were holding her and Kelsad for a brief time, until the Andorian Security Chief, Ka'Shel Th'Zhek, told us that Kelsad had actually been working for them as a double agent. He's been collecting evidence against this group for a while, and so I think the remaining gang members will be extradited to their planets of origin, on either Vulcan or Andoria. Kelsad and Jovan will be at the briefing, along with Fer'at."

"Have you received any information pertaining to the fates of Zallyn and Th'Orran? I presume that Th'Orran was killed after he was shot by Kelsad."

"Yes, he's dead," Forrest replied, "and I don't think there are going to be many people grieving him. According to Chief Ka'Shel, he worked for the Orion Syndicate as a Drug Lord. He wasn't interested in protesting the 'Destroyer Gene' or standing up for the rights of the poor. He's responsible for luring thousands of Andorian youths into the drug trade. Ka'Shel and Ambassador Ka'Jar have been working for years to protect the kids from it. That's what Th'Orran was talking about when he lambasted Ka'Jar for 'throwing the poor youths under his care' into prison. Ka'Jar and Ka'Shel were putting the youths into protective custody so that they could receive treatment for drug addiction, and be kept away from the Drug Runners."

"We will need to work with extreme cooperation between each of our species in order to prevent people such as Th'Orran from turning Mars into another 'Gateway' for the Orion Drug Trade," Soval responded, "It is essential that your colony not be used as a connection point for the Syndicate to recruit new Drug Slaves, as has been done on Andoria and in my home district of Shir'Kaya on Vulcan. Our governments did not take this threat seriously enough, and now we are all regretting it."

The two men arrived at the Briefing Room, pausing for the Security Guards to scan their identity cards. As they walked into the room, Soval surveyed the people who were there. The Andorian Security Chief, Ka'Shel and his mate, Ambassador Ka'Jar Ch'Zhek, were at the table, along with a _Vulcandorion _prisoner. To Soval's dismay, it was Zallyn; it seemed that their former captor was now himself under custody. His hands were cuffed, and he was sitting in a therapeutic mid-air chair, obviously disabled from the gunshot wound delivered to him through Th'Orran's "old-fashioned" gun. He looked into Soval's eyes briefly before lowering his gaze, and his green antennae drooped despairingly.

Beside Ka'Jar sat Minister Nathan Samuels with a man in a United Earth security uniform, whom Soval surmised was Samuels' bodyguard. It seemed that none of them were taking chances after what had happened to them. Mars Envoy Sirtek sat beside Samuels and his guard, accompanied by a number of Vulcan security people.

Forrest was joined not only by his son Mark, but also by his wife Mariel. Soval sat down as Fer'at, Jovan and Kelsad entered the room and sat beside him. Admiral Karen Washington and her Security officers sat at the center of the room, waiting to begin the well-attended briefing. Finally, the doors parted to admit Talcon, who was dressed in civilian clothes, and his friend Olivine Fossa. Talcon and Olivine did not look at Sirtek, and for his part, he ignored them completely. They sat across from Ambassador Soval.

"Ambassador," Talcon greeted him, "I have arranged for one of the Human Security Guards to attend to Sorral's needs while I am attending this meeting."

Soval nodded in return. He supposed he could have brought Sorral with him, but he felt that it was more important for the young man to spend the time comforting his mother.

"Welcome to the Briefing, Gentlebeings," Admiral Washington greeted the inter-species group, "We may as well get started. Chief Ka'Shel, what is the status of your prisoner?"

"Sha'Zallyn Th'Zoara, the full name of the Vulcandorion Leader of the band of kidnappers, has been disabled and can no longer use his legs," Ka'Shel replied, "He may at some point qualify for bio-mechanical walking aids, but at this point we prefer to keep him where he is. Ordinarily in a situation such as this one, we would send him to Andoria for execution; he is, after all, guilty of kidnapping government officials and engaging in other acts of treason and betrayal. We have decided, however, that because he helped T'Nak to incapacitate Th'Orran that we will give him a special deal. He is to work with Special Forces to help expose Drug and Bootlegging Rings. In his work as a Justice Fighter, he has come to know the various Drug Lords, such as the late Th'Orran. I believe, however, after his experience with Th'Orran, that he may be willing to work with us to bring these traitors to Andoria down. After all, they work for the Orion Syndicate—and the Syndicate has in recent years made itself the enemy of Andoria."

"I'm sure our forces can work with you on that, Ka'Shel," Washington told the huge Andorian Security Chief, "but we would like to bring charges against Mr. Sha' Zallyn, seeing as how he helped to kidnap citizens of both Earth and Mars. I realize that the Orion Drug Trade issue is an extremely important one, and we want to stop Mars from becoming a connection point for the Orion Syndicate; but I think a very strong line needs to be drawn so that visitors to our worlds understand that we will not tolerate the capture and wanton mistreatment of our citizens and guests. I understand, both from the statements of Ambassador Soval and his wife T'Nak, that many of the Orion-Hybrid people are upset about the creation of a 'genetic manipulation project' that will interfere with their health and the reproductive capabilities of their people. This is completely understandable, but we cannot tolerate kidnappings and hostage situations being forced upon us because of it."

"We will let him stand for trial on Mars," Ambassador Ka'Jar told them, "But we would like access to him here if you incarcerate him. He can provide us with much useful information that would also benefit the Human worlds as well."

Washington nodded her agreement. She gestured to the Martian Head of Security.

"Good afternoon," a burly woman with black hair greeted them, "I am Alma Sharma, the Head of Martian Security. We have been talking with Mr. Ka'Shel about access to the prisoner should he be incarcerated here on Mars. We are willing to allow this, but I need to say unequivocally that if we do that, we need to know what the Andorian Security Forces are planning to do—at least when it directly affects the welfare of our own people. During this hostage crisis, it would have been nice to know that Kelsad was acting as a double agent on behalf of the Andorian government, for instance."

"Ambassador Ka'Jar?" Washington queried the Andorian representative, "Were you aware of this fact prior to your capture?"

"Yes," Ka'Jar admitted, "and I apologize for not having brought it to your attention, Admiral. We Andorians make it a policy not to share such sensitive information with outsiders. If we had, it would have put Kelsad's life in danger and therefore have jeopardized his work. These fools who took us hostage are only one group among thousands, and if they had not counted Th'Orran as a member we would have ignored them completely as irrelevant. Many of these sorts of gangs have ties with the Orion Drug Trade if not the Syndicate itself, and they use the Justice Fighters, such as the late Valk of Vulcan and Sha'Zallyn Th'Zoara, for their own ends. It is not in the Syndicate's best interests to allow the so-called 'Destroyer Gene' to disrupt their reproductive infiltration plans, and so they use crusaders to create fear and mayhem. Their goal is to make populations afraid to use the genetic technology which is available to them through Envoy Sirtek's work. We needed to give the group an opportunity to strike so that we could demonstrate that we are not helpless in the face of their traitorous activity."

"Just a minute, Ambassador," Samuels broke in, "Do you mean to tell me that you knew these people were going to strike, and you did not warn us? I went with you to the surface of Mars in trust and friendship, to inspect the work conditions of your people, just as Ambassador Soval and Admiral Forrest did. I wondered why there were no Security people around to defend us when those barbarians came to capture us. Did your people deliberately distract my guards?"

Ambassador Ka'Jar lowered his eyes at the Earth Minister's accusation. He glanced up at Ka'Shel and nodded, giving him leave to speak.

"Yes, Minister Samuels. We did distract them with a false alarm, and it was then that Kelsad signaled us that the group was going to strike. I did not want them to take you or my own mate, but we were acting on orders from the Imperial Guard of Andoria. They knew that the Syndicate was planning to infiltrate Mars using the ordinary Hybrid immigrants to establish a presence on your worlds, and they wanted this particular group of activists to strike so that Humans would become angry and want to use the 'Destroyer Gene' to limit the reproduction of Orion Hybrids. I and my officers were given advance notice of the strike by Kelsad, but only by a few minutes. We did not know the precise place or where and when they would strike until we heard from Kelsad. He could not communicate with us frequently because it would have aroused suspicions.

The Orions must be stopped, for they are planning to slowly build a network using the Drug Cartels to manipulate and recruit Hybrids into their service using the Vulcanorion Connection to establish a 'Gateway' into Mars, just as they have begun to do on Andoria. We have been using Sha'Zallyn's group in order to make a statement to the Orion Syndicate that we do not intend to let the Human worlds become connection points or "Gateways" as Vulcan has become in the past century, and as Andoria is becoming now. Their presence on our own world of Andoria has only been recent, and we are still hopeful that we can eliminate it. That goal has been rendered difficult by the lack of action on the part of the Vulcan High Command, which strangely does not seem to be trying very hard to stop the spread of the Jaboraxin Trade, amongst the many other malevolent drugs which are being trafficked. We are mystified as to why that would be the case."

"Don't try to shift blame over to the Vulcans, Mr. Ka'Shel," Samuels replied angrily, "I am 'mystified' as to why you would allow a kidnapping to occur! Ambassador Ka'Jar, I am going to personally file a complaint against your government. This is a very poor way to begin a relationship of trust and cooperation between our peoples."

"I can only apologize to you, Minister," Ka'Jar told him regretfully, "If it had been up to Ka'Shel and I, we would not have proceeded in this fashion; but we were under orders from not only the Imperial Guard, but also from the top levels of our government. I do not expect you to forgive me for this."

"I spent days in that warehouse prison with you, Ka'Jar," Samuels cried in frustration, "And I came to consider you a friend. You're damn right that I don't forgive you! You told me nothing of this. I'm afraid this debacle has severely altered the relationship between our two peoples that we had been building in spite of all the difficulties. How can we trust your people now, knowing that you kept us in the dark about this simply _to make a statement of power_ to the Orions? This is absolutely disgraceful, and I am deeply disappointed in you and your government."

Ka'Jar remained silent, as Sharma and the members of the Human Security Teams glowered at him.

"So you see," Sharma added, "How can we trust these Andorians? They have not been honest with us, and for that matter neither have the Vulcans. The Vulcan Security Chief has not confided in us the whole picture. You did not tell us about the possible involvement of your government in this...Vulcanorion Connection, Chief Y'Ral."

Chief Y'Ral, a tall Vulcan woman, raised her eyebrow quizzically.

"The Vulcan High Command does not confide in me all its information, Ms. Sharma," she responded, "I did not tell you about 'the big picture', as you call it, because I did not know what it was. I certainly did not have advance knowledge of this extremist organization's plans to kidnap Vulcan, Human, and Andorian officials and their families. Had I known, I would have shared the information immediately. Perhaps the question of the High Command's involvement would be better directed at Ambassador Soval."

Soval took a deep breath before responding. This would not be the first time that the High Command had shut him out of their plans, but he knew he could not come out and accuse his own government of aiding the Orions. He was fairly certain that they were not actively participating with the Orion Syndicate, but he did need to offer the Humans an explanation for his government's odd behavior. He knew that he would need to go into more detail about the shameful drug problem in his home district of Shir'Kaya.

"I have shared with Admiral Forrest all I know about the Orion influence on Vulcan," Soval stated calmly, "I myself was raised in one of the vulnerable areas, a tribal district known as Shir'Kaya. I have always worked with authorities to try to stop the Drug Trade on my world, especially since it has affected me and my extended family members for many years. The main drug which has been distributed on Vulcan by these Orion and Vulcanorion traders has been _Jaboraxin, _a substance that is highly addictive to Vulcans and which also has a debilitating effect on the intellects of its users. The Orions are my enemies because of what they have done to a large number of my people. The Orion Hybrid people are not, however. They are caught in between the governments of our worlds and the Orion Drug Traders, who seek to enslave them to the Syndicate.

I have no reason to believe that the High Command is actually working with the Orion Syndicate, but they do tolerate the use of Jaboraxin in the Tribal Districts because it is believed to keep the dissenters quiet. Shir'Kaya and other desert districts like it have always refused to modernize, and many of them do not follow the teachings of Surak. Rather, they follow ancient polytheistic teachings from long ago. Because of this, many in the government are concerned that the Shir'Kayas and other desert tribes will not control their emotional impulses properly. The government officials fear that they will rage out of control as our people did two thousand years ago before the Great Awakening and the advent of the Age of Surak. I have always argued against such strategies because I believe that the best antidote to the situation is through improved education, especially in the teachings of Surak. There are certain Vulcan officials who have been most resistant to this, but I believe it is due to prejudice and ignorance on their part rather than because of some reputed conspiracy with the Orions. They do not understand the Shir'Kaya culture, and there are many Shir'Kayas who have inter-mated with Orions—because of this, many Vulcanorions follow the polytheistic tribal teachings as well. This has served to cement the connection between Shir'Kayas and the Orions, and the Syndicate no doubt plans to use this bond to their own advantage.

As for the High Command, I do not believe that they would actively participate in a conspiracy with the Orion Syndicate. Such an alliance would hold no advantage to them, as the Syndicate would wish only to use Vulcan to serve its own ends...just as it is doing now, because of our short-sighted failure to contain the Drug Trade. The reasons for the Vulcan government's failure to stop the Drug Trade on our world have more to do with a lack of vision than anything else. This foolish drug problem which has been allowed to grow has been vigorously opposed by many local politicians, among them my own birth-father, Skarn of Sh'Vaht. Skarn is the Magistrate of the village of Sh'Vaht, and he has for many years implemented the most severe anti-Jaboraxin policy on Vulcan. Other districts and villages have been following his lead, and they are putting addicted youths into facilities in order to withdraw them from their drug addictions and to re-educate them through the T'Pannok Center for Reintegration. Madam T'Pannok has devoted her life to rescuing addicted youths—in fact, she was instrumental in rescuing me from the effects of Jaboraxin use when I was a young boy. The majority of Vulcans are vigorously opposed to the spread of Jaboraxin on their world, and I believe that Administrator V'Las, the head of the High Command, can no longer afford to ignore the voice of the people in this matter."

"That explanation does seem to make more sense," Forrest concurred with Soval, "than the idea of the Vulcan government participating in a scheme that adversely affects their own world. Listen—I know that this is the first time that as many as three different species have attempted to work together in cooperation to solve these kinds of planetary security issues. It's become evident that we don't trust each other, but that doesn't mean that we can't continue to at least attempt a coordinated effort to stop the Orion Syndicate's Drug Trade. We did work together long enough to bring down the hostage-takers. I know you're feeling very betrayed by the Andorians, Minister Samuels, and so am I; but I still believe that working together against this Drug Trade issue is in the best interests of all our worlds. I urge everyone here not to give up, in spite of the challenges."

Silence greeted Admiral Forrest's words for a minute, until finally Chief Sharma spoke up.

"I'm willing to work with the Vulcan Security Chief, Y'Ral," she informed them, "But how can I work with Ka'Shel knowing that his government could either allow or orchestrate criminal acts against our citizens? I mean, I was willing to work with you, Ka'Shel, right up until I found out that your mate Ka'Jar basically led Minister Samuels into a trap. He knew, and so did you, about this whole business before it began!"

"No," Ka'Shel defended his mate, "Ka'Jar did not know when the criminals would strike, and how; I did not warn him that it was about to happen, and so he was not told that he was about to be captured. My shame in allowing my own mate to be taken by the extremists is deeper than you will ever know, Minister Samuels. Because he is a diplomat and not a soldier, however, I did not tell Ka'Jar about any of this until after he was freed."

"Nonetheless," Ka'Jar interjected, "I take full responsibility for this action, or lack thereof, on the part of my Security Team. I had my suspicions that the Imperial Guard was up to something, and a number of Ministers in my government had warned me that I should not resist too strenuously if I was one of those taken in an unspecified 'incident'. We were expected to remain silent about this possibility because it would have been interpreted as a betrayal of our own government if we had not. Disobedience on our world is often repaid through retribution against family members, and so we are wary of trusting anyone outside of our own clans. We are not accustomed to 'working cooperatively' with other species, and now we have effectively ended that possibility for the future. I can only say that I am not proud of how we have handled this whole affair."

"But isn't that what the Orion Syndicate wants?" Mark Forrest spoke out, before his father could respond, "They want to end the possibility of our respective species working cooperatively together because it's a danger to their plans. They need to isolate us from one another, to drum up suspicions and get us fighting with each other...and right now, they're succeeding admirably."

"Before we talk any further about inter-species cooperation, Mr. Forrest," Admiral Washington interjected, "I just want you to know, Ambassador Ka'Jar, that if you and your government ever withhold information concerning the welfare of our people again, I'll have all your asses hauled out of our territory so fast it'll make your heads swim! Mars and Earth are sovereign worlds inhabited by the Human species, and we will not let others decide our fates for us. Do I make myself clear?"

"Yes, Admiral," Ka'Jar conceded, "Perfectly clear. I have already contacted my government and...expressed my concerns about the way this situation was handled."

"You'll need to do more than simply 'express your concerns', Ka'Jar," Samuels warned him, "I should tell you that my government is considering the possibility of having you replaced as representative to our worlds."

"They would simply send a more aggressive representative," Ka'Jar told him, "But I understand your anger at us, Nathan."

"You and I are no longer on a first-name basis, Ambassador," Samuels replied coldly.

"Understood," Ka'Jar murmured sadly, "As usual, my government has behaved badly and left me to apologize for its foolishness."

"Let's not be too hasty about replacing Ka'Jar, Minister," Admiral Forrest interjected, "at least we know him, and have developed a rapport with him. Another rep might not even have the grace to apologize. Look, this is not going to be easy, I know! Captain Archer, in his dealings with an Andorian named Commander Shran, has always told me that Andorians are very paranoid, and do not trust easily; but when you do gain their trust, you've got it for life. We need to build more of a relationship with these people, and we won't do it by accusing one another."

"Max is right," Mariel told the group, "They're used to working alone, and so are the Vulcans. If we're going to have a chance of stopping the crafty manipulations of this Orion Syndicate, we're going to have to start trusting one another at some point in time. If Ka'Jar is sorry for what happened, then why don't we just wipe the slate clean and try again? After all, I don't know that the Mars and Vulcan Security Team let the Andorians know that they were going to allow me, Jovan and T'Nak in to cause a bit of havoc."

Soval raised his eyebrow, giving a quizzical look towards Securty Chief Y'Ral.

"We left the Andorians out of that particular piece of negotiation because we did not want them sending in their own agents, who would have moved too fast," she explained, "T'Nak was known to us through her work as an intelligence officer on Andoria. She had experience in dealing with aggressive Andorians in similar situations, and Jovan was the mate of one of the hostage-takers, or so we thought; we made a decision to send in both T'Nak and Jovan in the hopes that they could gain the hostage-takers' trust and distract them until we had our people in the proper place at the proper time. Mariel Woods went in as well as part of the Humans' negotiation for the release of the young people during the standoff phase of the hostage crisis. When Ka'Shel finally told us that Kelsad was standing by to give his officers the word as to when to storm the building, we at last decided to unite and take the crisis into its termination phase. As it turned out, we were successful together in spite of our failings and our mistrust."

"There, you see?" Mariel said triumphantly, "Now, imagine what you could accomplish if you all worked together honestly and cohesively? I bet the Orion Syndicate wouldn't stand a chance."

"Mariel is correct," Jovan added, "As a Vulcanorion, I had no idea that Kelsad was working for the Andorian government. When I agreed to go in, I was working under the auspices of the Vulcan team. We were collectively like a six-legged sand lizard whose front legs did not know what its back legs were doing. We were as chaotic and disorganized as the criminals we sought to capture, and yet, we were victorious! I believe that we have Kelsad to thank for that. He may have begun as a villain, but he finished as a hero. Would you not agree, my Father Fer'at?"

"I would not go quite that far, my daughter," Fer'at replied, regarding Kelsad with suspicion, "But I am thankful that you were not harmed, and that you were not truly joining those who attempted to destroy our family."

"I must apologize for my part in this, Fer'at," Kelsad told the Vulcan, "I did not want to have you and your children involved in this, but I was pretending to be in league with some very radical men. I did not have much control over their actions while I was working with them, in spite of my status as a double agent for the Andorian government."

"I do not forgive, Kelsad," Fer'at told him darkly, "You ought to have warned us before we went down to the planet's surface. Your first duty was to your mate and child, not the Andorian government."

Kelsad nodded sadly, his antennae drooping in response to the rebuke from his mate's father. Jovan touched his shoulder softly.

"I may not have been truly in league with the hostage-takers," Jovan said angrily, "But I do still support their message, and so does T'Nak. We are Orion Hybrids, and this 'Destroyer Gene' business needs to be addressed."

"And to address that topic," Minister Samuels began, "I'm very sorry to say that Andorian officials were correct—Earth and Mars politicians are very angry about the hostage fiasco which has taken place against its own citizens. There are many more of them now who want to implement Envoy Sirtek's 'Destroyer Gene' technology."

Jovan stared at Minister Samuels in shock, but did not reply.

"If we are now ready to discuss my Science Team's genetic solutions to the Orion Hybrid problem," Sirtek told them, "I would ask that the civilians who have been invited to these proceedings now leave. These are not matters for the everyday public."

"Envoy Sirtek," Washington responded, "The former hostages have all been invited to be here at this briefing—at least the ones who are well enough to attend—because they deserve to know what's going on with regard to all this. They have suffered more than anyone from this crisis, and I wanted to give them each the chance to issue a victim impact statement. I also wanted Mr. Sha'Zallyn to hear these statements, so that he understands how his actions affected these people."

"I can assure you that he does not care," Sirtek scoffed, "If the non-essential people here wish to make irrelevant emotional commentaries, I would ask that they be kept as brief as possible."

Washington nodded, and the "non-essential" former hostages each spoke of their experiences of fear, anxiety, and powerlessness during the crisis. Mariel Woods emphasized the fact that her daughter Maxine had been experiencing recurring nightmares about the event, and she particularly wanted Zallyn to know how the kidnapping had affected her child. Zallyn had said nothing in response, but simply hung his head as she was speaking.

When it was Talcon's turn to speak, he declined to say anything. Olivine Fossa, however, was determined to make sure that Sirtek heard about how his son had been affected.

"I just want Envoy Sirtek to know that his son Talcon handled himself with bravery and dignity," she announced, "He was placed in an impossible situation, and he met it with the courage of a...desert mountain lion...a _le-matya. _He tried to sacrifice himself for all of us, many times during our detention by the kidnappers. He kept encouraging Th'Orran to take out all his anger on him rather than on us. Sirtek, you should be proud of your son—instead of shunning him and judging him harshly for his actions in a situation that you never had to endure..."

"Olivine, please stop it," Talcon pleaded, "That is enough. You are overstating the case, and my father is not interested in hearing about me."

"I would concur with Ms. Fossa," Soval added, knowing that Talcon needed his support in the absence of his own father's concern for his welfare, "Talcon is to be commended for his strength of character and his ability to endure a torture session which would have doubtless broken most men."

The others all called out their agreement of the two statements made on Talcon's behalf, until finally Sirtek had himself endured enough.

"That will be all, thank you," he said to them, "Soval, my son needs neither your flattery nor your sympathy. The fact is that he submitted to Th'Orran's dictates, and his weakness was recorded for all to see. Unfortunately, his disgrace was leaked to the Martian media, and now it is common knowledge. His career as a Security Officer is obviously finished, as is his marriage to a woman of strong standing in our society. He is not intelligent enough to qualify for the Vulcan Science Academy, and so I have left him to his own devices. He must make his own decision about what he intends to do next. Speak to me no more about his so-called 'courage'."

"His career as a Security Officer is _not _finished, Envoy Sirtek," Chief Y'Ral countered, "He has simply been given a leave of absence in order to heal himself from the effects of this crisis. We will receive him back into service whenever he deems himself ready."

"And will you receive back into service a Vulcan who has been engaging in an illicit relationship with a Human female?" Sirtek asked scathingly.

"Talcon's choice of a mate is not my business, Envoy," Y'Ral replied in a matter-of-a-fact manner, "I do not believe that his relationship with Ms. Fossa will affect his work performance in any way."

"Oh, and by the way, Envoy Sirtek," Olivine said to him with irony in her voice, "Talcon and I were never involved with each other romantically. We're just the same as we've always been since we were kids: very good friends."

"Irrelevant," Sirtek sniffed, "Admiral Washington, may we now proceed to more important matters?"

"Yes, Envoy Sirtek, we may now hear about this great genetic manipulation program that's caused all the havoc to begin with."

"Perhaps I should mention," Sirtek began, "That before this hostage situation was resolved, a number of Earth politicians had expressed an interest in the 'genetic manipulation program', as you call it, Admiral. They have assembled a team of Earth scientists, and with the help of my science team and a team from Andoria, they have begun plans for its implementation. The politicians will be drafting a piece of legislation that will require all Orion Hybrids to undergo certain genetic alterations before taking up residence on either Earth or Mars. It would appear that the hostage-takers' cause has failed, utterly and completely."

"Do you mean to tell me that the Earth government is planning to rush through a piece of legislation that will effectively sterilize my people?" Jovan shouted angrily, staring at Sirtek and then Samuels, "as far as I'm concerned, such legislation is an insult to us, and we will not go to Earth if such is the case."

"That," replied Sirtek, "is the purpose of the soon-to-be-enacted legislation. I have briefed the members of government on the Orion Hybrid crisis, and they have decided that they must take up emergency measures to stop the Orions from genetically altering the population."

Soval was startled to hear that Sirtek had been in contact with members of the Earth government. As a special Envoy to Mars, it was clearly a violation of Soval's area of jurisdiction that he meddled in Earth affairs without the knowledge of the duly appointed Vulcan Ambassador to Earth. He would need to tread carefully with regard to this issue.

"Sirtek," he responded, "it is most inappropriate of you to have met with Earth officials. The Earth government needs to hear the other side of the issue—this "genetic alteration" that you are proposing is a violation of the rights of any Orion Hybrid residing on Earth..."

"And the Orions have violated all of our rights by creating these hybridized monstrosities!" Sirtek retorted, "Soval, I understand from a variety of sources that your wife T'Nak and son Sorral both carry within them Orion genes. Since they are effectively both Vulcanorion Hybrids, I must conclude that you, like the fool-ridden government that you serve, are Pro-Orion in your tendencies. For my part, I speak from the perspective of the Scientist—we have the capacity to use our knowledge to protect our people. Our error-prone Leader, Administrator V'Las, on the other hand, seeks to undermine Vulcan society with his lenient policies towards Vulcanorions and the Jaboraxin Trade on Vulcan. I would like to remind everyone at this Briefing that the respected Vulcan Ambassador to Earth, by his own admission, was once himself a Jaboraxin addict before he became involved in military and governmental service. So you see that defending the hostage-takers as he did while under their custody came naturally to him, for he is from the drug-ridden district of Shir'Kaya on Vulcan. I must conclude that Soval of Shir'Kaya, like the Vulcan High Command, seeks to further the drug trade in our galaxy, Gentlebeings!"

"That conclusion would be erroneous, and based upon false assumptions!" Soval countered, realizing that he needed to refute Sirtek's accusations of him as strongly as possible, "As I told you earlier, it is true that as an adolescent, I fell into dubious associations with Drug Traders and became a Jaboraxin addict. It is also true that I was punished by my father for it, and sent to work in the mines and eventually serve the monks at the Monastery of Sh'Vaht. They helped me to overcome my addiction and to educate myself and others; as a result, I received an opportunity to redeem myself that is not often given to others in my Tribal District—especially not the Vulcanorions.

Sirtek is correct, Gentlebeings—I do support the individual rights of my own people, who count among them many Vulcanorions and other Hybrids. That, however, does not automatically make me a supporter of the Orion Syndicate. Unlike Sirtek, I have spoken to and formed friendships with many Vulcanorions. I know from direct experience of them that most Hybrids are against the Syndicate, and are willing to work with us to oppose it. On Vulcan, some of the most vocal opponents of the Orion Syndicate and its Drug Trade are Vulcanorions.

This...destructive genetic code that Sirtek wishes to force upon the children of Hybrids will not stop hybridization—it will merely push the process underground, where the surviving Hybrid children of all our worlds will become enraged at our behavior. They will rightly criticize us for intentionally creating a disabling genetic disease amongst them, and they will want revenge. They will then be ripe for misuse by the Orion Drug Lords, who are themselves slaves of the Syndicate.

There is a more effective way to fight this problem, my colleagues, and that is to embrace the Hybrids and to work with them to thwart the aims of the Orion Syndicate. This may seem to many of you to be counter-intuitive, but I firmly believe it is the only way to protect ourselves. The people of Earth and Mars are under no threat from the Hybrids in individual terms. The recent influx of Vulcanorions such as Dr. Fer'at's daughter Jovan are here not because they want to further the Drug Trade, but because they want to escape it. They are looking for opportunities which are not available to them on Vulcan or Andoria because our societies are afraid of them. We know from experience that taking away their individual rights will only fuel extremist groups like the one that took us hostage."

"Soval is right, Mr. Samuels," Forrest agreed, "This 'genetics alteration' scheme is not something that most Hybrids will submit to willingly. It would need to be enforced, and the victims of that force will undoubtedly be mainly female; it is, after all, their fetuses that we are seeking to destroy. These forceful actions will take us down a very slippery slope. If this crazy 'emergency legislation' gets rammed through the United Earth Council's decision-making process by panicked officials, then we will have gone over the edge. The governments on Earth and Mars need to hear the other side of this issue before they do something that we'll all regret."

"The Andorian government has already begun to implement the program of action that Sirtek has suggested," Ka'Jar told them, "Which will mean that there will be a flood of 'genetic refugees' rushing to both Mars and Earth in order to escape...they may even go to Vulcan, given that its current administration has been so lenient with regard to the Hybrids and their activities. I do wonder, as Sirtek does, if the Vulcan High Command is deliberately attempting to undermine Vulcan society by allowing the Drug Traders free reign."

"Admiral Washington!" Jovan cried, "And Minister Samuels. You need to stop this madness! We are no threat to Earth society—we abhor the Orion Syndicate!"

A storm of chatter greeted Jovan's words, until finally Admiral Washington called for order.

"All right, that's enough!" she bellowed, "I'm sure the Ministers and other officials will be willing to hear the other side of this before arriving at a decision. Ambassador Soval, if you and Admiral Forrest, in addition to Jovan and any other Orion Hybrid who wishes to join you, would like to present your understanding of the consequences of this type of legislation, then we will ask Minister Samuels to set up a meeting with the appropriate government officials."

Soval and Forrest both nodded their assent. Before they could say anything, however, Zallyn spoke out.

"Excuse me, Admiral Washington," he asked politely, "May I be allowed to speak? I have some information which the Earth and Mars officials may want to hear..."

"Yes, and let's not forget that Marsies are not joined at the hip to Earth!" Olivine Fossa interrupted, "Just because Earth is considering this idiotic, fear-based legislation does not mean that Mars must follow suit."

"Admiral," Sirtek protested, "Could you please expel Ms. Fossa and her...consort...from these proceedings? She is being disruptive..."

"I'll decide when to expel someone, Envoy Sirtek," Admiral Washington told him, "Now if everyone will please shut up for a moment, I would like to hear what Mr. Sha'Zallyn has to say. Go ahead, Mr. Sha'Zallyn."

"It is simply this," he said to them calmly, "This 'Destroyer Gene' solution will not stop inter-species hybridization. I know from speaking to Th'Orran and some of his associates that the Orions are working on a kind of genetic antidote to Sirtek's plan. They have been working on a genetic code that would provide immunity from the kinds of disabling effects that Sirtek would insert into the Orion-Hybrid gene pool. They call it the "Creation Code", and it would result in DNA that is even more adaptable than that which the current generation of Hybrids carries within themselves. Sirtek cannot alter enough Hybrids to stop the current generation from re-producing; he can only begin the process of introducing these disabling genes to our children's DNA structures so that there will be fewer surviving fetuses in the future; and those that do survive will most likely contract a disabling and fatal neural disease at some point in their lives.

Sirtek's morally dubious solution is, however, too late. The Orions have been introducing these hybridizing genetic structures into planetary populations for over a century now. And because of this new 'Destroyer Gene' threat, they are currently working on a code that contains "Super-genes", to use a colloquial name for them. These genes will be impervious to hereditary diseases. I myself have a medical background, and I was working on this kind of research independently until my work on Andoria was shut down by the government, and a warrant was issued for my arrest. It was then that I became desperate and joined Valk and Th'Orran's group out of rage at the injustices towards my people. I now realize that, in my rage, I may have made things worse, not better, for my people. I am now willing to work with those of you who would like to oppose the 'Destroyer Gene' course of action. I believe I can find some evidence that the Orions are very close to coming up with a "Creation Code" which will cause Orion Hybrid genetics to be all the more adaptable, and more difficult to alter.

Whether or not you like it, hybridization of the different species is here to stay. Sirtek's destructive path of action will not save you...I am afraid there is no easy way to overcome your fears of genetic manipulation..."

"It sounds like Eugenics Wars, Part Three," Forrest exclaimed, "I think maybe Sha'Zallyn will be a valuable asset in this discussion, Admiral Washington...Minister Samuels."

"You would be a fool to trust that fiend, Forrest," Sirtek warned, "He is simply trying to frighten you with these tales about a 'Creation Code'."

"Yes, Envoy Sirtek, you may be correct," Samuels responded, "We need to determine that Zallyn is not simply 'yanking on our chains', so to speak."

"I am now the one in chains, Minister," Zallyn answered softly.

"Yes, Zallyn...and perhaps it is causing you to feel desperate, like we did when you exercised control over us. I remember what that felt like...you are willing to say just about anything to regain your freedom or the freedom of your family members...we saw that when Ambassador Soval made his statement, under duress of course, in support of the kidnappers' aims."

"It was not the kidnappers' aims that I was trying to promote, Minister," Soval explained hastily, "But rather a more rational course of action with regard to the majority of Orion Hybrids, who simply want to live their lives in peace. We must not be seduced into reckless action by fears of the unknown."

"You, Soval!" Sirtek fumed, "You and your Orion family members have been cohorts of Zallyn and his ilk from the very beginning of this crisis. I believe it is because you are trying to further the Vulcan High Command's Pro-Orion agenda."

"My agenda," Soval retorted, "Is assuredly not Pro-Orion, and neither is that of the Vulcan High Command. I wish only to pursue a course of reasonable action based upon intelligent security precautions as opposed to a campaign of fear that could lead to innocent Orion Hybrids being genetically experimented upon against their sovereign wills. This is not an appropriate solution to address our fears, Sirtek. There are times when that which we fear must be embraced, and now is the time to do just that. We must work with the Orion-Hybrid people, Gentlebeings, rather than against them. I'm afraid that, given what Mr. Sha'Zallyn has just told us about the Orions' latest creation, it is our only viable option."

Samuels looked at Sirtek, and then at Soval. He paused to take a deep breath in and out, closing his eyes as if he was in meditation for the moment.

"Very well," Samuels relented at last, "I will talk to the other Ministers about what we have discussed here today, and I will encourage them to at least listen to reason."


	10. Chapter 10: A Return to Earth

15

_**The Vulcanorion Connection**_

_**Chapter Ten: A Return to Earth**_

It had been almost a month since the Briefing on Mars, and Soval was relieved to be back on Earth at last. Sorral's placement on Mars had been discontinued by Envoy Sirtek, who had haughtily informed the young man that his services would not be required by the Vulcan-Mars Consulate. Sorral had been overjoyed by the bad news, even though it meant leaving his friend Mark Forrest behind.

Mark was continuing on in his Starfleet-based Martian placement, and would no doubt have many dealings with the Vulcan-Mars Consulate because of his Vulcan language skills. Admiral Forrest was extremely proud of his son Mark for the calm and rational manner in which he had conducted himself during the hostage crisis. Soval knew that the Human father had always gone to great lengths to help his son achieve mental and emotional balance, including allowing Soval to train Mark in meditative techniques. Mark had certainly come a long way since his emotionally turbulent adolescence, and Soval had been gratified to hear that Mark's education in Vulcan meditation techniques had helped him to overcome at least some of his emotional difficulties, in conjunction with Human psychological healing methods. These same tools had helped him to remain calm during the crisis, and to recover his equilibrium fairly soon after it.

Sorral, on the other hand, had experienced more difficulty in finding his balance after the trauma of the crisis. Soval and Fer'at's wife, Dr. T'Lan, had been working with him extensively to help him to come to terms with his experiences, as well as dealing with the new-found knowledge of his Orion-Hybrid DNA.

Sorral had returned to Earth with his father, and was free for the time being to fully devote himself to his mother's care and support. T'Nak had finally been transferred to an Earth hospital, not far from the Vulcan Consulate in San Francisco. Soval had visited her frequently to ensure her welfare, and he had continued to retain Talcon as a bodyguard for Sorral and as a Security Supervisor for T'Nak. Because of his family members' by now well-known status as Vulcanorions, he did not want to take the chance of another extremist group kidnapping them. There were a number of xenophobic groups on Earth that worried Soval, particularly one that was led by a vigilante named John Frederick Paxton. Paxton had been very vocal in his opposition to Orion Hybrids being permitted to visit the Earth, and he had used the hostage crisis to underline his point.

Since the hostage crisis, he and T'Nak had in some ways drawn closer in spite of the rather significant fact that she was pregnant with their former hostage-taker's child. They had, however, settled one thing between them: it was agreed that, when T'Nak was stronger physically and emotionally, the couple would divorce as peacefully as possible. Soval had finally admitted to himself that their marriage relationship was beyond repair, and he had at last agreed to let go of the marital bond to which he had clung with such temerity. There was little point in continuing, although Soval had committed himself to providing as many resources as possible to help T'Nak with the enormous responsibility which she had taken on in the form of her Vulcan-Andorian-Orion offspring. The child's life would not be easy, and Soval wanted to at least help the youngster to have the best start possible given the less than ideal circumstances into which he or she would be born.

The political climate, at least, had improved somewhat from its panic-stricken state a month ago. Soval, Forrest, and Jovan had all met with government officials and explained "the other side" of the Orion-Hybrid issue to them. As a result, the "emergency legislation" that the more fearful members of the United Earth Planetary Council had wanted to push through was tabled until the matter could be studied by Earth and Mars scientists in more depth. In the mean time, Sorral and Mark had been organizing groups of students from their Interplanetary Diplomacy program to peacefully protest the "Destroyer Genetics" program that was being considered by some Earth officials. Mark was orchestrating the protests on Mars while Sorral was doing so on Earth, at least in his local area. He had appointed a Student Leader to organize the group while he was caring for his mother, as he had wanted to stage a counter-argument to the one being offered by xenophobes such as Paxton.

Soval would have preferred his son to stay away from political activity for the time being, but he knew that he could not in all conscience ask him to remain silent about an issue that Sorral had come to understand as his own. Sorral was attempting to discover all that he could about his Orion heritage, although he was very aware of the dangers of doing so. The father and son had discussed the precautions that they both knew he needed to take, but after that Soval had restrained himself from interfering in his son's choices. There would still be times when Sorral would require his guidance, but Soval knew that it was well past time that he began the process of letting go of his last and youngest son.

As Soval contemplated the letting go of his family, there was a buzz at the door of his living quarters.

"Enter," he called out, as Fer'at walked in.

"Welcome back to Earth, my friend," Soval greeted him, "I trust the rest of your stay on Mars was more...uneventful...than the start of it?"

"Uneventful—as a _le-matya_ prowling loose in the marketplace!" Fer'at exclaimed, "But at least I have begun to make peace with my daughter's mate. T'Lan insisted that I remain behind to help Kelsad re-establish himself as an independent Security agent based on Mars. He will still have ties to the Andorian government, of course...but he says that he wishes to leave their service."

"And do you believe him?"

"I believe nothing that comes out of his mouth," Fer'at retorted, "But I have promised my wife and daughter that I would try, since Jovan refuses to let go of him. I do not understand Jovan's logic, Soval! Even after Kelsad's betrayal of our family, she insists that he is to be involved in her life and that of the unborn child as well. If I wish to have a place in my grandchild's life, I must accept Kelsad. I am now a hostage of Jovan's irrational love for him!"

"Perhaps it is time for _you _to release some of your paternal authority, Fer'at. You are known to be somewhat...overprotective of those for whom you care deeply."

"I believe those were once my words to you, Soval," Fer'at countered, "I imagine you do not want to let Sorral out of your sight after what we endured."

"What I want, my friend, is not as important as what Sorral needs. I believe you were right when you told me that Sorral needed more challenges in his life—it is possible that I have been functioning as an obstacle to his growth."

"Perhaps you should stop listening to me, Soval," Fer'at replied wryly, "After what happened to us since my last piece of advice, I should think that you would be discontinuing my services."

"Your services are needed now more than ever, my old friend...and, speaking of discontinued services, I very recently received a message from Minister Kuvak. He has informed me that Sirtek is being re-called from his duty as the Vulcan Envoy to Mars. I had not informed the Vulcan High Command about Sirtek's rather scathing accusations concerning them, and so I considered the possibility that you had done so."

"I?" Fer'at answered, "I have done nothing of the sort, Soval. You know that I would not usurp your duties, as Sirtek did when he met with the Earth officials. If he has been re-called, it is probably one of Chief Y'Ral's Security officers who was the informant. I must say, though, that Sirtek has no one to blame but himself for his misfortune. Perhaps this latest development will give him some insight into how his judgmental behavior has affected his son Talcon, and for that matter, your own son, Sorral. I understand that his placement has been discontinued. I do wonder if this shoddy treatment of Sorral has more to do with his Vulcanorion genetics than his work performance. Sirtek did not give the boy much of an opportunity to prove himself."

"Sorral is just as happy to have left the Mars placement...we will find another one for him when his mother is more fully recovered," Soval informed his friend, "As for Sirtek, we may have quarreled with his methods, Fer'at," Soval pointed out to him, "But he did have at least one virtue: he was not afraid to speak out against the Vulcan High Command. I am, in a way, perturbed to see him go."

"I am not," Fer'at stated firmly, "I welcome his dismissal, as it was well deserved. You saw how he treated his own son at the Briefing."

"Yes," Soval concurred, "and that too was perturbing, as were a great many things that happened to us on Mars. I must confess that I am most gratified to have left that particular colony world behind us. But I am afraid that I need to leave now, Fer'at...Admiral Forrest and his family are expecting me at their home within the next half-hour."

"Yes," Fer'at said to him, "And I will accompany you there, since I and my family have also been invited. T'Lan, Jovan, and Sethir have already gone ahead, as they are bringing T'Nak to the Forrests' abode to escape the hospital for a short time."

"Very well," Soval replied, "although I hope this outing has been cleared by T'Nak's doctors."

The two men exited the Vulcan Compound, where they both maintained apartments for themselves and their families, as did all the other Vulcans who lived on Earth and who worked at the Consulate. There was a Ground-Car waiting for them, and as Soval entered he gave the Driver directions on how to get there. He then did a double-take, as he realized that "the Driver" was Talcon. He sensed that there was also another passenger in the back of the car, seated beside Fer'at.

"Ambassador," Talcon greeted him, "And Dr. Fer'at. Sorral and T'Nak are at the Forrests' house, and I am to take you there."

"Hi, you guys!" Olivine Fossa said in her usual informal manner, "I'm coming with Talc. I just arrived on Earth for a little holiday, and I thought I'd see how you were all doing after the big ordeal...so I guess I'm going to be crashing this little party you're having!"

"Ms. Fossa," Soval replied in a neutral tone, "It is agreeable to see you once more." Although Talcon's companion was certainly not disagreeable, he found Olivine's manner to at times be somewhat inappropriate when she was addressing people who were many years her senior.

"I apologize on behalf of my friend, Ambassador," Talcon said, "She sometimes forgets her manners."

"And of course, you're the epitome of good manners yourself, Talc!" Olivine retorted, "I should learn from you, huh?"

"Yes, indeed, Olivine," Talcon replied, his voice betraying a certain tone of fondness for her in spite of his attempts to repress it.

"What about your work project with the Vulcanorions, Ms. Fossa?" Fer'at asked as the Ground-Car lifted several inches off the ground and sped off towards the Admiral's home, "Are they still being employed by you and your people?"

"Of course, Doctor!" Olivine sang out merrily, "I put one of my best Vulcanorion workers in charge. She's been promoted to Supervisor, and she's doing a great job. I don't need to worry about a thing while I'm away."

"And is your mate here?" Fer'at asked her, "I believe you told us his name was Isaac."

"Oh, he wasn't my mate!" Olivine exclaimed, "Just my boyfriend. We broke up this month, unfortunately. I guess the strain of the hostage crisis was a little too much for our relationship. He wanted to keep me on a leash, after that—and I was just not agreeable to that. I need to be a free spirit, and so I came to Earth to bug Talc."

Soval peered at Talcon quizzically. He knew that it was not his place to judge the relationship between the young Vulcan and his Human friend, but he could feel a sense of paternalistic disapproval bubbling up within him nonetheless. He placed the feeling in a mental file under the term "_inappropriate personal judgments_". He did not wish to interfere in Talcon's life, but he had somehow, in the past month that the boy had been working for them on Earth, become almost like a second son to him. He had been offering the young man guidance when he asked for it, and had been as supportive as he knew how to be with regard to his father Sirtek's abandonment of him. He had also been keeping Talcon's mother, T'Lok, up to date on what was happening with her son. He was not certain whether she would be joining her husband in his recall to Vulcan or whether she would remain behind to support Talcon. From the brief conversations that Soval had engaged in with Sirtek's wife, he surmised that it would be the latter.

As he drove along the country road to the Forrests' house, Talcon did not offer any explanation or excuse for Olivine Fossa's visit, and Soval refrained from mentioning it further. After a quiet and uneventful ride, they at last pulled into the laneway of the house where the Forrests resided. The house was an odd mixture between an old-style Earth farmhouse and a modern architectural structure based on Vulcan designs. Unlike the sands of Vulcan, however, the surrounding area was full of grasses and trees of many different varieties. As they hopped out of the car and strode towards the home, Soval realized how fond he had become of his adopted world's amazing biodiversity. He noticed that he appreciated Earth much more after returning from worlds like Vulcan or Mars, which were quite barren in comparison.

Max Forrest met them at the door, wearing his civilian clothes.

"Hey, Admiral Max!" Olivine greeted him enthusiastically, giving him a hug, "It's great to see you wearing something other than that boring old Starfleet uniform!"

"Hey, Olivine," Forrest returned her greeting in a jovial manner, "Talcon warned us that you would be arriving. Mariel wanted to have you all over because she hasn't seen much of you since our...shared experience together."

"This is great!" Olivine exclaimed, "A Hostages Reunion! Are Minister Samuels and Ambassador Ka'Jar here?"

"Well...no," Forrest admitted as his big golden dog Barker trotted out in a docile fashion to greet the newly arrived guests, "We haven't really invited them...I guess we assumed that they would be otherwise engaged in their duties. Come on in, Ambassador, and Dr. Fer'at. Mariel has been taking Barker to obedience classes lately, and so his behavior has improved since the last time that Soval was here. I don't know if the Ambassador has warned you about our resident canine, but I assure you he's quite harmless."

Olivine patted the dog as Barker sniffed at the new arrivals, refraining from jumping up on them as he had the last time, to Soval's considerable relief. They were led to the back verandah of the house, where their families were seated at a large wooden table laden with fruits and vegetable dishes of every sort imaginable. Evidently, Mariel intended for them to have a feast for their mid-day meal. Thankfully, there had been some advance notice of the event beforehand, and Soval had prepared for it by fasting for the past two days. He was quite familiar with the Human tendency to eat more than was necessary to sustain their bodies.

As Mariel hustled them outside and sat them down at their assigned places, Soval was surprised to see Maxine's Tomm-1000 Household Assistant Android sitting down with them.

"Tomm has a new job, Ambassador Soval!" Maxine explained, her cheerful disposition having returned in spite of her trauma on Mars a month ago, "He's going to keep the Marsies' re-programming, and he's going to serve as a Security Android for me whenever I go out. He's been doing a great job at keeping the bullies away at school—haven't you, Tomm?"

"Yes, Maxine," Tomm replied in a somewhat less mechanical way than when Soval had last encountered him, "I have been programmed with over 5,000 Security protocols, precautions, and procedures. I will protect you in case of an emergency."

"Tomm was a hero, and he helped to bring the Security Team over to Sethir and I when we finally escaped from those odious ogres that kidnapped us. I was freaking out when Mum and T'Nak got captured instead of us, but Tomm kept me calm. Didn't he, Sethir?"

"He has been well-programmed by the Mars technicians," Sethir agreed, "I would very much like to inspect his circuitry, Maxine, if you would permit me."

"No, Sethir," Maxine objected, "Tomm isn't just any old machine. I believe that he has a personality...maybe even his own feelings."

"That would seem to be a projection on your part, Maxine," Sethir informed her, "It is highly unlikely that Tomm's programming is that advanced."

"Oh, stop trying to imitate your father, Sethir—telling me all that psycho-babble about projection! I know a lot more than people think I do...and you better not start trying to be like my big brother, bugging me about 'Androids-having-no-feelings' now that Mark is away working on Mars!"

"Well, you never know, kids!" Olivine interjected, "We've never been inside the mind of an Android, have we? Of course, Talc probably has more insight into that than we do, right, Babe?"

"Olivine, please stop referring to me as though I were your infant," Talcon retorted, "I am not _'Babe'_. I am a Vulcan male of twenty-two standard years."

"And I am a Human female of twenty-two standard years," Olivine replied with a smile, "Don't we make a great couple?"

"Yes," agreed Jovan, "Almost as great as Kelsad and I..."

"...who thankfully has been left behind on Mars to do his duty," Fer'at interrupted his daughter.

"I believe that it is now time for us to be silent," Fer'at's wife T'Lan called out to them, "Admiral Forrest wishes to intone an Earth Blessing upon our meal."

T'Nak floated outside in her therapeutic mid-air chair, accompanied by her son Sorral, and sat across from her husband Soval.

"We're ready," she said to them, "Go ahead, Max."

Forrest delivered a blessing of gratitude to his deity for the bounty of the big meal before them. After it was thus intoned, it generally fell upon Mariel to instruct the guests to "dig in", a phrase which Soval had learned over the years meant to begin eating. The Vulcans ate in silence while the Humans chattered on amongst themselves about every topic imaginable. Soval noticed that his son and wife were unusually quiet during the meal. They ordinarily made every effort to participate in the obligatory meal-time conversation that was so much a part of Human life. He supposed, however, that T'Nak's condition made it difficult for her to engage with the Humans in her usual energetic fashion; and Sorral was no doubt concerned about his mother's first social outing away from the safety of the hospital.

After the meal was complete and the dishes cleared away, Mariel informed them that she and T'Nak wanted to say "a few things".

"Max and I wanted to have you all over today because we feel that you are all our friends, and we want to make sure you know that. It shouldn't take a big crisis to cement friendships between people, but sometimes it does nonetheless. I know Vulcans and Humans have not always gotten along well in the past century or so that our two species have been interacting...but Sorral and T'Nak have really convinced me that we can change that, just by spending time together and getting to know one another. One of these days, I'd like to really go crazy and invite some Andorians over as well...Kelsad for sure, and maybe even Ka'Jar and Ka'Shel from the Briefing. Right now, though, I've just invited your families because you are the ones I've come to know best—especially in the past few weeks, as I've worked with T'Lan on developing a psychological healing program for our kids. I've learned a lot about Vulcan kids from T'Lan—and about how Vulcans in general process their thoughts and emotions. T'Nak and I have been friends for years, of course, as part of the Starfleet/Vulcan Consulate spousal support club! We've supported each other over the years during those times when our two guys were working long hours, and things didn't seem to be going too well for us. I think now, though, after we've all been through such a traumatic event together, it's time to widen the circle a bit and take a chance on getting to know other Vulcans—even though you don't talk much during dinner. Fer'at, T'Lan, Jovan, Sethir, Talcon, and our surprise guest, Olivine too—we want to welcome you into our family as friends, just like Soval, Sorral, and T'Nak have been. If you'll accept us, that is."

"I would like to be Maxine's friend," the young son of Fer'at and T'Lan offered, "I will even forgo inspecting Tomm's circuitry for her."

"Sethir!" Fer'at chided the youngster, "You will be silent, please."

"Yes, Mariel," T'Lan replied to Mariel simply, "We do accept your offer of friendship. Our gratitude to you and your family for your hospitality towards us...we, who are Strangers from another world."

Mariel appeared pleased by T'Lan's response. She looked at T'Nak, nodding at her. T'Nak stared ahead for a moment, as though she were about to do something very difficult. She gestured to Sorral, who brought a large book out of the day-pack on the back of her mid-air chair. Sorral laid the book gently down before his father. Soval recognized it immediately. It was a very ancient copy of The Book of Surak, one which T'Nak's grandfather had given to her, in the hope that she would one day become a more devoted student of its message.

"Soval, my husband," T'Nak said finally, "I am giving this book to you as a gift. As in many Vulcan families, the handing over of the Book of Surak must be witnessed by at least five adult family members. Since the only family member that Soval and I have on Earth is Sorral, I have asked our friends to witness, as they have become like our family on Earth.

I know that you have always been in awe of this edition of Surak's writings, Soval, because it is a particularly ancient copy; it is said to contain lost writings that the newer versions do not. I would not know, since I have not read it. My grandfather did not give me this gift so that it would sit on the shelf unread, and so I know that he would approve of me giving it to you. He did, in fact, counsel me to give it to another if by the time I was half a century old I still had not read it. I am now a number of years past the half-century mark, and I ask you to receive this sacred gift from me as a peace offering between us."

"T'Nak, I cannot accept," Soval told her, "This book was intended for you. I have read the Book of Surak hundreds of times over and am very familiar with its content. You are more in need of it than I, for I doubt if you have read the full book even once."

"You are correct, Soval," T'Nak answered, "and I know that I'm not going to get through it, even once. You, however, would study these ancient writings that are not found in the other editions, and I know you would do so in great depth and detail. If you remember, you once asked me if I would permit you to read it, and I declined. I hid it away from you out of spite, because I was enraged that you would not agree to dissolve our marriage. Since the dissolution of a marriage requires both parties to agree to it, I have felt trapped by you and your stubborn refusal to let go of me.

Recently, however, you have chosen to give me a sacred gift yourself: you have finally agreed to the dissolution of our marriage, and in so doing you have given me my freedom back. This means more to me than you will ever know. Therefore, I ask you, my husband—for once, do not be stubborn. Accept this gift from me."

"Come on, Dad," Sorral urged his father, "Mum wants to give it to you as a peace offering, and I'd like you to receive it as such."

"Our son has suffered greatly as a result of our disagreements, Soval. I realize that in the course of our marriage, I have not always been kind to you. I wish to apologize for my unkindness, and particularly for the parts of my autobiographical book that you felt were 'unsuitable for public consumption', as you said."

"I am a Vulcan male who is over a century old, T'Nak. I do not require kindness," Soval stated, "nor do I require an apology."

"Well, I'm giving it to you anyways, you stoic old sand-tortoise!" T'Nak retorted, "Mariel, T'Lan, and Jovan have all encouraged me in this, as they believed it was the right thing to do, given all that we have endured together, and all that I have put you through over the years."

Soval surveyed the surrounding group, and he realized that he was, without a doubt, out-numbered.

"Very well," he conceded, "I accept this gift, T'Nak—but in receiving it, I believe that I also owe you an apology for my at times rigidly held opinions. I know that I have been very dictatorial throughout our marriage, and that has not helped matters. Let us now be at peace with one another, and let us do this in honor of our cherished son, Sorral."

"My gratitude to you, my honored parents," Sorral said to them, his relief evident, "I'm proud of you both—this means a lot to me."

"Then it was well worth our time, Sorral," Soval responded. He had been deeply touched by this gesture by T'Nak, as overwhelming as it had been for him to engage with her in this manner in front of their friends. Normally, this kind of thing would have drained him emotionally and he would have had to excuse himself by now for a nap and a period of meditation. At the moment, however, he was surprisingly at peace with himself.

"I guess we can't very well expect to make peace with other species until we create it amongst those closest to us," Forrest mused, "Mariel and I have learned that, especially since this ordeal that we all went through. We want to wish you the best in your new life, T'Nak. And you too, of course, Soval."

"Thank you...Max," Soval responded, remembering to obey Mariel's "Forrest-Woods Rule" and use only the Admiral's personal name while at the couple's home.

"Hear, hear!" Mariel cheered, "And I'd like to propose a toast to a very peaceful divorce for T'Nak and Soval!"

"Toast is bread which has been cooked," Sethir explained to the adult Vulcans.

"No, it's not," Maxine countered, "Not in this context. My Mum means that we raise our glasses, like this..."

Maxine lifted her cup into the air, and Sethir followed suit.

"Uh...maybe a toast is not quite the most appropriate thing for a divorce, Mariel," Forrest murmured to his wife quietly. To Soval's relief, the Admiral changed the subject.

"I think you'll be happy to know, Ambassador," Forrest began, before correcting himself, "I mean...Soval...the Human, Vulcan, and Andorian Security teams are getting much better at working together since the Hostage Crisis. They have all been working closely with Sha'Zallyn Th'Zoara, who's been tried and incarcerated on Mars. He's been directing them on which of the people to look for when they're screening visitors to determine whether or not they're involved in any aspect of Orion drug trafficking. He's also been working with the Researchers from Earth and Mars who have been asking him about this "Creation Code" that the Orions are working on which would render Sirtek's 'Destroyer Genetics' plan obsolete. He's been able to direct them towards other research work that has corroborated what he's been telling them about the Orions and their stronger, 'super-adaptable' DNA, which carries disease-resistant genes. All of this information will help the ministers of the United Earth Planetary Council to make more informed choices about their legislation concerning the Orion Hybrids. Hopefully, they'll see that taking away the Hybrids' individual rights is the wrong way to go."

"It sounds like things may finally be coming together," Mariel commented, "and I hear that Jovan is going to begin working with Starfleet?"

"That's right," Forrest replied, "We're still working out the details, but we think that Jovan would be a valuable member of our team. She'll have to undergo a certain amount of training here on Earth, though."

"I am more than willing to receive such training," Jovan told them, "I wish to do something to help resolve this problem which some of my people have been creating. We need to provide alternatives to Orion Hybrids, like Sha'Zallyn, for example. After all, he was not a bad man—he was simply a man who was desperate and made bad choices. He was actually a medical doctor before he became a kidnapper—surely we can't waste potential like that on desperation any longer!"

"Yes," agreed T'Nak, "I am especially concerned about the future potential of Orion Hybrids, as I am carrying Sha'Zallyn's child."

"So it is Zallyn's child, Mum, and not Th'Orran's?" Sorral asked, his expression a mixture of sadness and relief.

"Yes," T'Nak admitted to him, "It can only be Zallyn's. I incapacitated Th'Orran with the Vulcan nerve pinch before he could touch me."

"So I'll have a part-Andorian sibling..." Sorral mused, more to himself than to anyone else.

"I do caution you, T'Nak, to keep your distance from Sha'Zallyn," Soval warned his soon-to-be-former-wife, "We still do not know how far he can be trusted."

"Since he is in prison on Mars, Soval, it is doubtful that I will be seeing him in the near future," T'Nak told him, "but at some point, I will need to introduce him to his child. He is, after all, its father."

"Unwise," Soval counseled her, before realizing that he was falling back into over-protective paternalism once more. T'Nak would do what she felt was right, regardless of what he thought about the matter.

"I apologize, T'Nak," he said quietly, "It is not my place to give you advice on the matter."

"But maybe Dad is right, Mum," Sorral added, "I think it would be more prudent to keep away from Sha'Zallyn...please, don't even visit him in prison."

"You're beginning to sound more and more like your father, Sorral," T'Nak noted, her voice tinged with a sense of humor.

"Remember," Jovan cautioned them, "what Soval said about embracing our fears rather than acting out of them. Let's not close the door too tightly on people like Sha'Zallyn. He is helping us, after all, and I believe he is going to take the opportunity to redeem himself. We have to stop falling back on our fears concerning the Orion Hybrids...you and I are both carrying Vulcandorion children, T'Nak, and we have a perspective that needs to be heard by all."

As his friends and family members considered their childrens' futures and debated the issue of how far they could trust Sha'Zallyn, Soval found himself disengaging from the conversation. He closed his eyes for a moment, attempting to find the calm centre within himself. They had all been through a chaotic and disturbing experience; and he knew that the effects of that experience, not only upon them but also upon the people of Earth and Mars, were not going to disappear overnight. He knew his diplomacy skills would be needed more than ever in the coming months, and he was prepared to offer his services insofar as he would be allowed to do so by the Earth community. However much he loved this world, he understood that he was still only a guest here.

Sorral, on the other hand, had been born and raised on Earth, and so had much deeper ties to this diverse planet. He was not only a so-called 'Vulcanorion Hybrid'; his son was a cultural Hybrid, a mixture of both Vulcan and Earth cultures. Sorral's friend, Mark Forrest, was similarly well-versed in both the Earth and Vulcan cultures, and would soon be ready for a full placement on the Vulcan home-world. He thought of the ways in which Talcon and Olivine, Jovan and Kelsad, and even Maxine Forrest and Sethir had been interacting with each other, and he could see a more inclusive attitude amongst them beginning to occur. The next generation of children, he realized, would change the societies that they lived within, not only in genetic terms, but also within their spirits...their _katras,_ as the Vulcans called the soul. This would no doubt create great resistance and fear amongst those, like himself, who clung tenaciously to the old ways.

The "old guard" would not give up their worldviews willingly. Among the student protestors of "Destroyer Genetics" were also protestors from the xenophobic group led by John Frederick Paxton. Paxton and his followers were not only against the Hybridization of species, they were against permitting any extra-terrestrials at all to enter Earth society. In a way, Soval could not blame them, as he knew that he held within himself similar xenophobic impulses that sought to protect his ancient and slow-changing society on Vulcan.

Whether or not Soval or Paxton and his followers were in agreement, however, Humans _were_ moving forth into the galaxy, ready or not; and as they were doing so, the galaxy, it seemed, was entering into their home society.

They were all going to have to contend with some very big changes, some of them beneficial and some, perhaps a little less welcome. Earth had left behind it the Human conflicts of the past, such as the three World Wars and the Eugenics Wars which had ravaged their planet before they finally awoke to new possibilities for a future based upon peace and cooperation between Humans. And now, they were again embarking on a new chapter in their history, one which included other species and their attendant challenges. It remained to be seen if the following generations would be capable of coping with the challenge.

"Ambassador Soval?" Forrest interrupted his thoughts gently, "You seem to be lost in deep contemplation of the Universe. Do you have any words of wisdom for us?"

Soval considered his many disagreements with the Starfleet Admiral, as well as the moments of cooperation and friendship between himself and Maxwell Forrest. This time together with their families and friends was one such moment.

"No, Max," he responded, "I believe you and your family already have all the wisdom that you need to negotiate the future, within the sanctity of your own spirits."


End file.
